This week Weekly Volcano sat down with James Stowe and Mark Monlux from Freelance Fandango to talk about the group and their quest for new digs to have their meetups for freelance creatives. Check this out and let them know if you would like to join them or if you have the perfect new location!
Weekly Volcano: How did Freelance Fandango begin? Was there a moment when you thought Tacoma needed this?
James Stowe: I started Freelance Fandango in 2014. I had just quit my job as a creative director and suddenly went from working with an art team of six to sitting alone on my couch. I reached out to a few freelancers I knew, asked if they wanted to meet up, and we talked about what we were working on. We did it again the next week, and it just kept going. In creating something I needed, I accidentally created something Tacoma needed too. Eleven years later we still meet weekly, both in person and online.
Mark Monlux: The group was already going when I joined, but the need was instantly obvious. Creative professionals tend to work in isolation. A consistent weekly spot to see other artists fills a gap many of us did not know we had.
WV: What were those earliest meet-ups like?
J.S.: Just a handful of illustrators trying to find a coffee shop with enough open tables. We briefly settled at Corina’s Bakery, then outgrew it. Later we were at Red Elm Café until their renovation. Now we are looking again.
M.M.: We still get two to twelve people. The average is four to six. Folks drive from Kent and Olympia, so arrival times vary. The come-when-you-can vibe has been there since the beginning.
WV: What problem were you hoping the group would solve?
J.S.: Isolation. Freelancing can be lonely. I wanted to create a community where people could share knowledge, vent, get help, and just feel less alone in the work. I do not have all the answers. The group shares the load.
M.M.: Connection and professionalism. A lot of freelancers work alone all week. Here they get camaraderie and the chance to talk with people who have been doing this for decades. The advice is lived experience, not theory.
WV: How would you describe the vibe to someone who has never attended?
J.S.: Art nerds will be nerding. If you enjoy conversations about illustrator tools, scammy job inquiries, terrible AI slop or pricing ethics, you are among your people. We are awkward creative types who love art enough to make a career out of it in this economy.
M.M.: It is unique. No dues, no officers, no agenda. What started as a work session naturally became a space where people discuss grants, shows and strategies. And there is usually show and tell.
WV: Who tends to show up?
J.S.: Anyone in creative freelance: illustrators, cartoonists, designers, photographers, writers, animators, effects artists, fashion designers, muralists, educators, game artists and students. If you freelance or want to learn how, you are welcome.
M.M.: Mostly illustrators, but many of us do game design, graphic art, murals and book production. We also get videographers, writers, DJs, sculptors and newly relocated creatives trying to plug into Tacoma’s scene.
WV: What do members get from Fandango that they cannot get elsewhere?
J.S.: Community. People have formed friendships and collaborations that go far beyond the group. Freelancing does not offer many chances to be around like-minded people.
M.M.: Camaraderie and solid guidance. With so many seasoned professionals in one room, there is very little guesswork.
WV: Have any surprising attendees stopped by?
J.S.: Not really. Freelancers are already an idiosyncratic group.
M.M.: We have had immigrant artists from China, professional dancers from New York and people who had just moved here hoping to figure out Tacoma’s art world.
WV: What challenges do Tacoma creatives discuss most?
J.S.: Pricing, self-promotion, scam inquiries and ongoing client sagas. We also critique works-in-progress. Freelancers have to be creative and also their own managers and accountants. The group crowdsources that expertise.
M.M.: Project negotiations, contract language, deciding which calls for art to pursue and simply what looks good. Those topics come up often.
WV: Do people actually work during the meet-up, or is it more social?
J.S.: It can be both. Some people work quietly the entire time while conversations happen around them. Participation is optional.
M.M.: When attendance hits six or more, the room breaks into topic clusters. Some work. Others drift between conversations based on who has answers.
WV: What is the best and hardest part of running the group?
J.S.: It is surprisingly easy. There is no prep, just a willingness to show up and listen. We have great partners, and the goal is simple: help creative freelancers thrive.
M.M.: The spontaneity. You never know who will show up or what will be learned. It is also the frustrating part when a venue wants a headcount.
WV: How does Fandango fit within Tacoma’s larger creative scene?
J.S.: We attract people from different creative circles. Our mission is to create weekly opportunities for anyone pursuing a career in art.
M.M.: For some, it is a gateway to everything happening in Tacoma. For others, it is the one time a week they see fellow creatives.
WV: What would you say to someone nervous about attending?
J.S.: That is reasonable. Most of us dislike talking to strangers. But you will find people who get you, and you get to show off your work.
M.M.: Come for a laugh. It is as easygoing a group as you will find.
WV: What are you looking for in a new meeting venue?
J.S.: A locally owned Tacoma spot that can hold twelve to fifteen people for two hours once a week, preferably with a back room or meeting room.
M.M.: Mondays from 11 to 1, an enclosed or semi-enclosed space with reasonable noise control and no minimum order requirement. Sometimes there are two of us, sometimes twelve. Flexibility is key.
If you want to learn more you can reach out to James by email: stowe@cartoonistsleague.org or join the Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/482369871914165/
