by VINCENT TINGUELY

Since dumping his corporate publisher, author Jim Munroe hasn't looked back. He self-published his next two books, got deep into Web-based productions, and, in order to maintain a suitably indie lifestyle, became well versed in self-promotion. "The neat thing has been finding out I can come up with ideas for promotion that also excite me creatively and politically," he says.

Munroe's promotional tours steer clear of the traditional book-launch format. For instance, his last book, Everyone in Silico, was peppered with references to corporations. He invoiced the corporations for product placement, and when he went on tour to promote the book, he read a selection of the past-due letters he'd written, dunning the corporations for nonpayment. "This gets across what's in book, but it goes beyond a straight reading," Munroe explains. "I have been to so many boring readings, after a while it felt like church… Why not apply the creative muscle you apply to your writing and come up with something more interesting?"

Munroe's latest project is The Perpetual Motion Roadshow, a seven-city touring circuit for indie authors and performing artists who, like himself, want to present something other than the usual boring reading. He used his contacts in New York, Chicago, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Boston, Toronto and Montreal to set up a completely artist-driven circuit, with "agents" in each city providing the venues and accommodations. It's up to the folks on tour to promote themselves and to find transportation between cities. "I see the Roadshow as a sort of temporal magazine, where I get to put these people who excite me into this circuit," Munroe enthuses.

The first Perpetual Motion Roadshow tour hits Montreal on Saturday, featuring Toronto comic artist Marc Ngui, who recently launched his madcap anti-capitalist opus Enter Avariz with a slide projector and a sampler. Says Munroe, "Ngui is a quiet guy in person, he's not an outrageous comic, but at the launch he had all these hilarious sound effects, and did all the voices, and what amazed me was how good all the voices are."

Ngui will be touring with Bostonian gendernaut writer and performer Charlie-girl Anders. Anders promises to read snippets of her fiction, "which audiences can expect to be weird and sometimes amusing," she says. "I'll also be cutting gender stereotypes into colourful little ribbons, suitable for decorating your wine cellar," continues Anders. "I might read some of my nonfiction from the Anti-Capitalism Reader or Salon.com. And I might sing, if nobody stops me!" Also touring is New York-based word phenomenon Corey Frost, who's also providing the transport (his white Civic). He'll perform selections from his CD, Bits World: Exciting Version, and ask ethical questions about the eating of fruit. Local synth-based quick-change artist World Provider rounds out the bill for Montreal's first, and certainly not last, visit by the travelling troupe.

The Perpetual Motion Roadshow comes to Zeke's Gallery (3955 St-Laurent), Saturday, April 19, 7:30pm, pay what you can, www.nomediakings.net