SF Weekly was officially sold to the San Francisco Newspaper Company, which also owns the San Francisco Examiner and our longtime rival, the Bay Guardian.

As of midnight Wednesday, SF Weekly staff was no longer employed by Voice Media Group. Todd Vogt, president and publisher of the SF Newspaper Company, said he will consolidate operations and relocate to 225 Bush Street where the Guardian and Examiner are located.

"I'm excited," Vogt said. "I wanted this paper since I got to San Francisco -- I think it's one of the best weeklies in the country."

Voice Media Group issued the following statement this morning:

The deal, effective immediately, means that The San Francisco Newspaper Company ("SFNP") will assume operations for the paper beginning today. The sale of SF Weekly will allow Voice Media Group to focus on growth opportunities for mobile and online platforms and to develop core digital offerings in its other key markets.This is a strategic decision aligned with the long-term business goals of VMG.

"Todd Vogt is known for his expertise in the local paper space and he is a great choice to take ownership of SF Weekly," said Scott Tobias, CEO of Voice Media Group.

Financial details of the deal will not be disclosed.

So there you have it, dear readers, the latest news about the news.

Courtesy of the Exploratorium

The Embarcadero has seen a fair bit of controversy in recent years. There were tense negotiations over how much leeway the city would give the America's Cup race, a downright nasty political fight over the 8 Washington project, and now some residents are objecting to development plans for a new Golden State Warriors arena. But the waterfront will be gaining one tenant this year that we're pretty sure everyone will love, and that's the Exploratorium. More »

***Update: Deadline extended to January 11.***

Hey Bay Area visual artists, filmmakers, designers, and performers: Wanna win a grand and get your work shown publicly?

Of course you do, which is why you should enter SF Weekly's Masterminds contest. It's an annual competition where emerging artists working in various media can win grants (last year's were $1,000 to $1,500!) and the chance to get their work shown at Artopia, our annual art-focused party on Feb. 21.

See also:

We're looking for spring arts interns. Is it YOU?

More »

Writers aren't known for being sociable, and lawyers aren't known for being nice. But on NYE, this writer is going to break his habit of hiding in the Outer Sunset, and Berg Injury Lawyers is gonna do us all a solid with its free cab ride home program. Berg Injury Lawyers' tradition is motivated by William Berg's first-hand knowledge of the pain and anguish caused when families lose a loved one in an alcohol fueled crash. Or maybe by the desire for some kick-ass P.R., but who's counting when there's a free cab ride on the table?

See also:

Keep It Classy New Year's Eve with these Hot Events

Maya Kabat Exhibit in SFMOMA Cafe Distracts from Downtown Holiday Madness

More »

Hanna Quevedo

The election is over, Black Friday is behind us, and the holiday season is in full swing. Shoppers are out and about, we're all frantically trying to get caught up on work before our vacations, Macy's Holiday Tree is lit and brightening up Union Square and -- wait a minute -- Macy's tree is lit? Yep, it's true. Once again, we have missed the holiday tree lighting in Union Square. But don't despair if you're reading this with a similar panicked reaction; we've found a couple more tree lightings to round out the holidays for all you procrastinators.

See also:

Maya Kabat Exhibit in SFMOMA Cafe Distracts from Downtown Holiday Madness

Black Friday: SF Weekly Takes Masochism to a New Level, Spends 24 Hours at Walmart

More »

DEADLINE EXTENDED TO WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 5 at 5pm.

Connected in San Francisco: What's your interpretation?

This is a city of connections. Big bridges, little phones, unusual cultures. San Francisco lives for this stuff. Draw us some stories about how it all fits together.

We are looking for local artists to give us their take on this theme!

The best entries will be selected to appear in print.

Submissions should be created as true sequential art - a full story unto itself. Cartoonists are encouraged to be creative within the confines of the required dimensions. There are no restrictions on the number of panels or how you arrange them.

Be sure to work within our half- or quarter-page sizes. If you would like to do a full-page comic, please submit a proposal via email prior to producing it.

Guidelines

• Submissions must be in black and white. You may propose full color, but you must demonstrate competency in this before it will be green-lighted.
• If coloring with tones of gray, separate grays by 15 percent, i.e. 15, 30, 45, 60, 85 percent grays.
• Grayscale images: 300 dpi.
• Bitmapped black-and-white images: 600dpi

• Submit your entry with the following contact information:

• Your full legal name
• The name you prefer to be credited in print
• Your website, if applicable
• Comics must conform to one of the sizes listed in the PDF download below

Size & Compensation

Items selected for print will be compensated based on size. Please download the PDF for specifications and more info.

I've often wondered what happened to Justin, the person who trained me in the fine art of flipping burgers at the McDonald's I worked at in high school. At first Justin seemed like any other high school kid -- we bonded over toasting buns, "running the bin," and daydreams of all the horrible things we could do to your milkshake. But over the course of a year, Justin changed a bit. He started out with, "I think I accidentally went on a date with this guy," then moved on to, "I'm definitely dating this guy," and eventually it became, "Okay, I think I'm gay, but don't tell anyone."

See also:

Biden: Trans Discrimination Is a "Civil Rights Issue of Our Time"

Remembering Slain Transgender Teen Gwen Araujo

More »

Gil Riego

The Walt Disney Company purchased Lucasfilm Ltd (which includes LucasArts, Industrial Light & Magic, and Skywalker Sound) from George Lucas for a cool $4.05 billion on Tuesday, Oct. 30. Along with the transaction came the announcement that Disney intends to release a new Star Wars film every two to three years, starting with Star Wars: Episode 7 in 2015.

"It's now time for me to pass Star Wars on to a new generation of filmmakers," Lucas said in a statement. "I've always believed that Star Wars could live beyond me, and I thought it was important to set up the transition during my lifetime."

See also:

20 Best Star Wars Costumes at the Giants Game

Star Wars Comic Book Artists Speak on the Birth of an Empire

More »

Hanna Quevado

Halloween loves you this much.

We love Halloween in San Francisco -- you could say it's our favorite holiday. It's like the naughty stepchild of Christmas and the slutty roommate of New Year's Eve hook up once a year and throw a party tailor-made to the whims of San Francisco's crazy class. This year Halloween did us a favor and fell mid-week, so the party will start early and end late. We know you're probably too busy sewing sequins and glamming up to keep up with the who's who and what's what, so we've rounded up the 10 best Halloween events in the city. 

See also:

Top 10 "Sexy" Halloween Costumes

Halloween Costumes Inspired by Martial Arts Films

More »

Full Disclosure: I was a core collective member of the CELLspace Community Arts Center from 2000 until 2007. During that time I lived in a small box in the ceiling, sat through more "ritual theater" than I care to remember, and learned that when someone starts shooting at a party you end up with a large pile of high heel shoes because you just can't run fast enough in heels.

If you're involved in community arts in the Bay Area, you've probably been touched by CELLspace in some way. The graffiti and mural covered warehouse on Bryant has been hosting b-boy competitions, tango lessons, art classes, youth programming, and underground dance parties for over a decade. During it's early years CELL functioned almost entirely through the efforts of volunteers and operated on the collective consensus model of decision making. It provided space for artists like the Flaming Lotus Girls, Twisty Tie Joe, and the female hip hop collective Sisterz of the Underground to make a name for themselves, and also helped to create and inspire the warehouse art movement now flourishing in the Bay Area at spaces like The Box Shop and The Crucible. Burning Man's Community Events Director Steven Raspa commented over e-mail that, "CELL has played a vital and significant role in the underground creative community in the Bay Area for many years, serving as a stopping point for touring acts, a stomping ground for local art groups, and numerous mad-capped 'happenings' that defy explanation."

See also:

Best Community Arts Center -- CELLspace

Big Lebowski Party at CELLspace

More »