CITY WEEK

Art

Warped worlds

While hiding away from reality in their South Park home and studio, artists James and Lindy Ivey are able to conjure up worlds of their own. James dreams up creatures-octopus people, aliens with four eyes and smiley-faced robot dudes with long, creepy legs-and paints them into surreal dreamscapes. Lindy's characters are just as twisted-evil-eyed bunnies, scary cats and zombie chicks decorate her canvases. It makes you wonder: What exactly is going on in that household of theirs? See the Iveys' latest works alongside the photography of Claire Scoter and the abstract paintings of Eric Wixon in This Image is Cracked, an exhibition opening at Ocean Beach People's Organic Foods Market, 4765 Voltaire St. in Ocean Beach, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 29. 619-224-1387 or www.cactuspillow.com.

Theater

Down on the farm

Tina wants a baby. The way things are going in her marriage, she may have to recruit somebody other than farmer husband Tom to get it-like the young hired hand out of detention on work release. Tom has his own problems, not the least of which is the nosy EPA inspector with the itchy trigger finger. Turns out there's a lot more at stake than this fractured household-namely the fate of the 15,000 pigs that hold the key to the farm's survival. The aptly titled dark comedy Pig Farm, written by Greg Kotis of Urinetown fame, runs through Oct. 29 at The Old Globe Theatre's Cassius Carter Centre Stage, 1363 Old Globe Way in Balboa Park. $19-$56. 619-23-GLOBE.

Film

Get animated

If early-'90s Disney musicals are the still first things that come to mind when you hear the word “animation,” then it's high time you took Aladdin out of the VCR and set about expanding your appreciation of the genre. A great way to start would be by attending 'Toon Town Troublemakers, a showcase of contemporary animated short films-all unrated, some with adult content-that feature a variety of styles, from hand-drawn animation to computer-generated images. The one-time-only screening begins at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 28, at the Sherwood Auditorium in the Museum of Contemporary Art, 700 Prospect St. in La Jolla. $7. 858-454-6985.

The foodology of film: In the world of high-end food, putting two distinctly different styles of cuisine-like Mexican and Sushi-together on one plate is referred to as “fusion” cooking. A lot of times it's terrible, but when it's done right, it's unforgettable. An example of successful film fusion would be the combination of live actors with animated characters in the 1988 classic, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, which-courtesy of the Midnight Madness film series at the Landmark Theatres in La Jolla-you can have the pleasure of viewing on the big screen once again. Grab a couple friends, get a good buzz on and head to the La Jolla Village Cinemas, 8879 Villa La Jolla Drive, at midnight Saturday, Sept. 30. $7.25. 619-819-0236.

Lectures

The art of doing

Suzanne Lacy must get up pretty early-or drink a hell of a lot of coffee-every morning. Currently the chair of the fine arts department at Otis College of Art and Design in L.A., Lacy is renowned for her writing, photography, installations, performance art and large-scale collaborations. For the past 35 years, she's used her many talents to address a plethora of pertinent social and political issues, including violence against women, racism, poverty, aging and education. The first guest speaker in the Athenaeum Music and Arts Library's Dialogues in Art and Architecture series, Lacy will explain what's driven her to accomplish so much at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 28, at the Athenaeum Music and Arts Library, 1008 Wall St. in La Jolla. Free. 858-454-5872.

Nightlife

Return of the monkey

Alma Felan, owner of Hot Monkey Love Café, may have lost the battle over parking and property rights to her former neighbors, the Alliance for African Assistance, but she says she feels like she won in the end. The café's new location at 6875 El Cajon Blvd. is just eight blocks east of the former one. The building is three times as big and, according to Felan, it's much, much better. Felan says, “It's not just a café anymore, it's more of a cultural center.” Check out the new home of Hot Monkey Love at the Grand Opening Party & Dinner Reception from 5 p.m. to midnight Sunday, Oct. 1. Manny Cepeda, 13 De La Suerte and Michael & Camille's dance group will perform. $20. www.hotmonkeylovecafe.com.

Special Events

Women of war

Fighting foes with a Chakram, slaying the Nazgul with the blade of the Rohirrim, using an Alethiometer to help save the world from the Church-it's all in a day's work for ass-kicking fantasy heroines Xena the Warrior Princess, Eowyn of Rohan and Lyra Silvertongue. If you're well-acquainted with these fantastic fictional females-or have named your cats after any of them-you definitely can't miss the sci-fi and fantasy convention The Fifth Conjecture: Fantastic Women, where you can meet your favorite authors of the genre, take part in panel discussions and writing workshops, dance at a masquerade, cry at a Klingon wedding and much more. The magic begins on Friday, Sept. 29, and continues throughout the weekend at the Red Lion Hanalei Hotel, 2270 Hotel Circle North, Mission Valley. $10-$45. 619-297-1101. www.conjecture.org.

Music

Sounds like scratch

Scratching-we're talking vinyl records here-got its start by a guy named Grand Wizard Theodore back in the '80s and has since slowly made its way from undergound art form to mainstream (think Kanye West sidekick A-Trak). Get your up-close-and-personal sctaching fix with DJ D-Styles, formerly of the legendary Beat Junkies, who'll be at California Sound & Lights, 7632 Clairemont Mesa Blvd., from 4 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 30. D-Styles will give a quick show of his mad skillz then he'll slow it down and share a few tips on technique with the crowd. Other DJs making an appearance include Mr. Henshaw, DJ Ruthless and Etronik. 858-277-8188 or www.csl.com. Free.

Scat-man extravaganza: Get your jazz hands spread, your gin martinis poured and your ear holes ready-it's time for some top-notch scatting and saxophone playin' at a jazz festival of epic proportions. On Saturday, Sept. 30, at 8 p.m. jazz legend Daniel Jackson will host a concert aptly titled Daniel Jackson Real Jazz at the San Diego City College Theatre, 1313 Park Blvd., Downtown. The lineup features jazz heavy-hitters, including Art Hillary, Chuck McPherson, Tambu, Charles Owens, Marshall Hawkins and Russell Blake. The 50 folks that make up the Mesa College Jazz Band will be there, too, performing some of Jackson's original arrangements. Jackson himself might get up on stage, so if you missed the time he played sax for 24 hours straight in protest of the Gulf War, now's your chance. $25. 619-632-5483.