Unfinished Buisness

There is too much stuff to do!

This painting isn't done yet!

This dog needs gray tones!

This comic is nowhere near finished! Why are cars so hard to draw?

Aaaaaurgh!

These comics are done, go read them.

Everyone must eat.

This weekend I did a lot of eating, and not much drawing.

But there's comics up at the website.

Razor Clams

It figures, immediately after announcing a new update schedule I forget about it and skip a day. But it was a holiday Monday, so I've decided that it doesn't count.

Over the holiday weekend, I went on a razor clam dig. It was cold and raining and the ocean was uncooperative, but it's still great fun. And when it's all over you get clam chowder!

Of course, it was all research for a comics project. Everything is research.

Found Objects

I am still without reliable internet access (hello coffee shops) and my efforts to PAY a company to provide me with internet service have only met with frustration. 

BUT I'M NOT GIVING UP YET! 

The plan right now is to try and update this blog every Monday and Friday, whether it means walking to the library and leaning out the window to try and steal wifi from a neighbor. This is happening.

On today's menu- things I discovered while unpacking! 

Does this count as my first zine? It was in a box of my pre-school artwork. Hey, I stayed inside the lines!

...yes..

These sketches are from last spring, while sitting around by myself waiting for a concert to start.

I'd completely forgotten about this whole thing until I found the sketchbook at the bottom of a box. Always check your tire pressure before starting out on a long trip! ...also, I need to invest in some color pens. My sketchbooks are pretty dull. 

ALIVE! and live from Seattle.

I am alive and well and living in the International District of Seattle. Six blocks from my work, one block from the Seattle Pinball Museum. There's an art supply store downstairs and a coffee shop about every ten feet. It's good to be home.



There's a few basics I still don't have sorted out yet. Regular internet access. A scanner. What happened to my favorite pencil case, (bummed about that one. So many brush pens lost!) but it's all slowly being sorted.



Regular content is on it's way!

Link Party!

High five!

Talked with some folks at the Washington City Paper prior to SPX

Drag Bandits (written by Betsey Swardlick, drawn by yours truly) is now available! You can read a five-page preview here, or you can purchase a Retrofit Comics subscription and help keep the post office from going bankrupt.

Commissions are fun, especially when kids and/or superheroes are involved. Thanks for the mention, Jamie, and happy birthday, Robin!

Trees and Hills has a new anthology out, Woods, that I drew a little three page story for. Since it's a regional anthology, this is the last volume that I'll be contributing to. Sad times.

Panel Patter has been nice enough to link to me like, three times this summer. So I'm returning the favor. 

That's all the news that's fit to print.

Summertimes Funtimes

I've been lazy about keeping this updated as of late- finishing up two big projects with another in the wings, got to be a background dancer in an awesome fake musical, and now I'm off camping.

There's too just much Summer going on right now, but September is just around the corner, and then I'll blog the hell outta this joint.

Until then, go outside!

Retrofit progress

Betsy Swardlick has sent me a script for our Retrofit collaboration, and I am penciling like a crazy person!



Horses are usually on the list of "things people hate to draw" right after cars and bicycles, but this has been surprisingly fun. Look at them go!

I always intend to scan my pencils before inking, and usually forget. I think Eddie Campbell once said that inking is where all the mistakes come out? But, a lot of saying like that are attributed to Eddie Campbell.



This book will be out in October (we're second in the line-up, after James Kochalka. Intimidating!) The Retrofit Kickstarter has been fully-funded, but you can still contribute and get a subscription!

In other news, there's new comics up on TragicRelief.com every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Brand new! Mostly stories I'd intended for the Island Brat book, but then ran out of room. Check it out!

Summer Colds Aren't Fair

I spent much of this week with a summer cold, watching Dr. Who and consuming an impressive amount of tea, when I should have been drawing.

But, the internet goes on without me:

• The Librarie Drawn & Quarterly was nice enough to carry two of my books, and mention me in their blog alongside MariNomi(!!!), how awesome is that?
• Here's a link to the Inkstuds interview again, because it's my blog and I'll post what I want.
•  It's that time of year again, when everyone is moving away from WRJ, and I am sad.
• The Retrofit Comics Kickstarter has been fully funded (yaaay!), but you can still give them money. You know, if you really want to. I mean, I think 17 comics delivered to your door for $100 is a pretty good deal. That's less than $6 an issue!
• Gaga GONE! (link to Facebook album)

Inkstuds!

Robin O'Connell was nice enough to ask me to be on Inkstuds! This is one of my favorite podcasts, and if you don't already listen to it, you probably should.

Come listen to my nervous babblings! http://www.inkstuds.org/?p=3733

Relevant Links (apologies if I missed anything):

McNeil Island Historical Society (Facebook page)
Buy the book!
The Evergreen State College
Go, CCS, you're the best!
Cooper Point Journal
Olympia Comics Festival
Koyama Press

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day to my overall wearing, Charlie Brown looking, Dad!

Lazy Summer and Red Summer

It's summer and beautiful in Vermont, and I'm in that weird space where I'm drawing a lot, but nothing I'm allowed to post on the internet yet. Though I am taking commissions, if anyone is interested.

Here's one thing I've been working on that's it's probably okay to post- a friend from High School Vanessa McMeekin is making a short film in the UK. They've got a teaser trailer up, and asked me to do a couple of doodles for a fundraiser-

It's fun to draw skellingtons.

Oh, and remember when I said there would be new comics on the website starting April 8th? I meant June. Obviously, June 8th. So yeah...new comics next week, yaaay!

Diary Tunes 2010

Mixed CD's came in the mail from Nomi Kane, Beth Hetland, Betsey Swardlick, Penina Gal and Robin Enrico.

It's Diary Tunes time again! Robyn Chapman organizes this mix exchange every New Year's, with the bulk of the cd's arriving in February, just in time to stave off the "this winter is never going to end" crazies. This is my third year participating, and the first year where I think I know everybody on the exchange list!

It's been neat so far seeing how well everyone's mix fits their personality. For example, listening to Nomi's mix, my first reaction was "all these songs make me think of Chicago", and with Beth's, it's non-stop dance tunes.

I wonder what my mix says about me?



This Is A Low-Swipe
Textbook Love-Fleet Foxes Fleet Foxes
Ossining-Mike Doughty
My Only Offer-Mates Of State
Good To Be Awake-Sandman
Beautiful-Hepcat
Cinnamon-The Long Winters
Brave The Cold -Mr Hudson
Major Tom (Coming Home) -Peter Schilling
This Town Ain't Big Enough For The Both Of Us -Sparks
All the Young Dudes-Mott the Hoople
Primary Colours -The Horrors
Black Sheep - Metric
40 Day Dream - Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros
The Show Must Not Go On -Harvey
Like A Friend -Pulp
Sea Legs -Pretty & Nice

You'll be missed, Dirk Deppey

Today is Dirk Deppey's last day blogging for The Comic's Journal. While it's been made clear that the parting is amicable, and only happened because the magazine-turned-website can't afford him anymore, I'm still pretty torn up about it.

Dirk was the first real "comics industry" person I met, at my first convention, The Olympia Comics Festival, where I was a total embarrassment and had no idea what was doing. He was nice, took a copy of my comic and offered to show it to whoever was reviewing mini comics at TCJ then (that person probably either laughed at it or set it on fire or something, it was really bad).

Withouth Dirk writing Journalista...I don't really have a reason to visit TCJ's website anymore, unless I get a Google Alert or e-mail from a friend pointing me to a good review. But "Journalista" brought me to the site daily. I'm wondering how TCJ can afford to lose him?

Comics Tool Review- Platinum Fountain Pen Converter

This year I decided to do the NaGraNoWriMo project with a brush pen, instead of felt pens like last year. This was instantly a mistake, since our town is going through a "brush pen refill drought", with several of the current cartooning students having decided to ink their entire thesis with the Pentel Pocket Brush.

A pack of refill cartridges at the store in town is $7 here, and the Platinum Fountain Pen Converter only cost $7.50, so I decided to give it a shot.



It doesn't fit my Pentel Pocket Brush, but fits the Kuretake no.8 (and its pricier cousins, the no. 13 and no.40)



I don't like the Kuretake as much as the Pentel Pocket Brush. They both have hair tips, but the Pentel has a nicer point, and the belly of the brush isn't as full with the Kuretake.



Filled it up with Speedball ink. Hope this doesn't clog it up in the long run, I should buy some sumi ink.



Here's the assembled pen and a doodle. Everything is working fine for now, and I'm happy considering the price, if I use it five times it'll be worth it. I'll post more if I encounter any problems.

Halloweenie!

It's Halloween! And...I'm already feeling partied-out. Might just stay home tonight and watch movies. Need to go out and buy some candy in case we get any trick-or-treaters.

For my costume this year I was mostly concerned about comfort. Needed something that I could:

1) roller skate in for the costume skate on the 29th,
2) wear for the Gory Daze parade and not freeze to death in, and
3) dance in for the Curve Ball following the parade and not be too hot/awkward on the crowded dance floor.

So, I made a peacock tail and wore it with one of the many blue dresses I already had. I really like sewing and making clothes/costumes. Wish I had more time for it.


Paints, fabric and notions


Painting peacock feathers


The finished dress

There were some great costumes at the parade this year. Some of my favorites:


Beth's Star-Bellied Sneetch


Jon's bandit


and Old Greeeeegg! complete with The Funk and a Mangina.





It's been a fun holiday so far. I also finally got around to buying my own (cheap) set of roller skates. No more dealing with gross rentals, and I'm definitely a lot steadier out there now.

Life? Whatever.

Sorry there hasn't been many comics here lately. Life keeps getting in the way. Like this nonsense:



My bed broke! I bought a loft off of craigslist to make room in my tiny cave-like apartment, but the center beam was rotten. You can't tell from this photo, but the bed is being supported in the middle by a copy of San Papel and a trashy airport novel.



But we fixed it. And by "we" I mean mostly Jonch and his eagle scout skills. Here he is hammering a metal plate into the side rail. This thing is never coming apart.

Also having trouble drawing comics because I'm out of bristol board. Friday is payday, and I'm picking up another one of these. That'll last me for at least a year.

While waiting for paper, I've been painting scary things:




because it's almost Halloween. Costume photos to come.

Guest blog

I did a guest post over at the Funny Aminals blog, where I ramble for a bit about Oswald the Lucky Rabbit and how Disney scares the bejeesus outta me.



Tragic Relief is still updating three days a week with pages from the Woman King story, if you like that sort of thing. Bears, I mean.

Tragicrelief.com is Go!

I finally grew up and got my a URL to call my own. Check out the new website:

WWW.TRAGICRELIEF.COM

Many thanks to Cat Garza for his setting up the site, and then fixing everything after I broke it. He's been very patient with my bumblings, and you should give him money to build your site or design your next tattoo.

ANYWAY...So I've got a webcomic now? It's going to update every Monday, Wednesday and Friday for the next couple months with pages from my Woman King book. Figured this was a good place to archive the story since it's almost out of print and I don't have any plans for a 2nd edition. Once that's all up, you'll start seeing new pages, but in the meantime this story is probably new to a lot of people.

I'll still use this blog, and update it with sketches, ramblings, and my NaGraNoWriMo project.

...ONE MORE TIME!

WWW.TRAGICRELIEF.COM

Ladies Drawing Ladies

Calendar cover by Nomi Kane

I did a page for the new "Ladies of CCS" calendar! This isn't the final product, just a watercolor sketch, but it's of Mel Gillman, a CCS '12, as Ms. June. Lena Chandhok did an artful illustration of me for the month of January.





Here's the info:
"The Ladies of CCS Pin Up Calendar $7 (plus shipping). Portraits done OF Cartoon Studies Ladies BY Cartoon Studies Ladies. 7"x8.5" (when folded) Full Color 2011 Calendar."

I'm not going to be selling copies myself, but you can pre-order the calendar from Beth Hetland's online shop.

All the artwork I've seen for this project so far has been cute and tasteful- pinups not centerfolds. I can't wait to see the finished project!