Keeping this streak going, I’ve got the next chapter of Spoilers for y’all. It’s a short one, but fairly significant.

We’re winding down on this one here, thanks to everyone who’s been following it the whole way down.

Other Things

Some things are going on in Cleveland and I would like to share them with you.

Most importantly, the great Catherine Irwin will be playing at the Beachland Tavern on November 12th. If you remember my post of the most influential records of the past decade, you’ll remember seeing Catherine’s Cut Yourself a Switch. It really is some of the best song writing in a long time. And when you’re in the same room as those sound waves, it touches your bones. Looking forward to it.

I also had the absolute honor of putting together a show poster for the event. It was very cool to go into the record store last night and see my art on the wall.

Yeah, I’ve done a few of these goosey-necked women recently, but this one has a specific meaning to it! I swear.

Speaking of Waterloo road, I went to see Dan Tranberg’s solo show open up last night at Arts Collinwood. Dan always makes such beautiful work — I had seen a lot of this work online previously, but the flatness of the pieces belies how much depth there is. Each work is filled with so much detail that can only be appreciated by the naked eye. It relates to a comment Dan made about how a big aspect of the work is about reminding us in a way of why we have physical objects and why they’ll never go away, regardless of how persistent digital culture becomes. The show will be open for a couple more weeks, so maybe when you come to see Catherine Irwin you can stop by.

Concubine— Dan Tranberg, 2010

Since you know how cool that Waterloo Road is, would you believe that there’s even more reason to hang out there? Cleveland’s Genghis Con is returning for its second year on November 27th from noon to 6. It’s not official official yet, but I will be there with all the great stuff I had on display at PIX. Hope you guys can stop by! John G provides another fantastic image for the flyer, see below.

But before we get carried away with all that great stuff in the coming month, be sure to check out Ashley Brooke Toussant and her band kick it at the Grog Shop in little over a week, on November 3rd. You will be glad that you did.

One Final Shout

Surely you’re all familiar with the reputable online comics rag The Daily Crosshatch, run by Mr. Brian Heater. Yes? Good. Well, I become aware somewhat recently that new buddy L. Nichols (who does one of the most refreshing “diary comics” I’ve come across) has been manning the Crosshatch Dispatch. She was super nice enough to throw a link my way for my review of The Whale. To return the favor, I’m directing all of you to check out everything she does. Get to it.

I’ve got so much to blog about, it’s a little otc. I still plan on doing a process post where I take you through the making of Chapter 21. Till next time, My Friends.

Hey hey hey,

what’s happening?

I’ve been away for a little bit, but of course I have been mad busy! To make it up to you all, this one is an image-heavy post.

Part of what has been going on is I moved into a new apartment. It’s a pretty nice place, albeit a little empty. I’ll be slowly building it up but it serves its purpose pretty well.

My actual brother came up to visit last week and reminded me that there are funny things out there on the internet (that’s his comic up there that I think he wrote about me…) He’s got me reading the amazing Problem Sleuth from Andrew Hussie’s MS Paint Adventures. I am floored by this work, it really seems to be taking the concept of the true “web” comic to new heights. What he showed me of this and Hussie’s more recent ongoing comic/game, Homestuck, I am really impressed and excited. It’s also got me thinking a lot about video games and fusion comics.

No slouch himself, Matt Czap is also running new comic strips on his website Monday, Wednesday and Friday that are sure to give you a chuckle.

Puppy Teeth

I’ve also been working hardcore on comics! The above is a sample of my newest short that will appear in a new mini Liz Suburbia and I are co-editing called Puppy Teeth. I am so god damned excited about this project, let me tell you about it. We’ve gathered together 10 (!) of the best artists and cartoonists that we have the pleasure of knowing and are putting them all between two covers just in time for this year’s Small Press Expo. Not only does that mean brand new comics by Liz and I, but also from Matt Czap, Niki Smith, and Darryl Ayo! And that’s only half of the gold you’ll find in there.

I’ll have more news as we get this thing gets put together. I am planning on setting up some kind of thingy so y’all can order it online

Ashley Brooke Toussant

I’ve also been trying to get out more. A while ago at the market there was this little singer busking, singing Melanie’s “Brand New Key” (which I love because I used to not drive and also for that line “some might say I’ve done all right for a girl!”). I picked up her CD and then a couple weeks later she was playing there again. She told me she was playing in Tremont in a little bit, so the other night I went to the wonderful Visible Voice bookstore and saw Ashley Brooke Toussant and her band put on a great show. These guys are playing the Beachland Tavern on the 28th and I highly recommend you Cleveland folks to check it out!

In other Cleveland news, one of the RAs from my dorm at CIA first year is one of the best designers on this season of Project Runway! Although admittedly, she was the one RA I didn’t develop a friendship with, Valerie Mayen is reppin’ Cleveland something fierce. The other week I went to a viewing party on the West Side that Val threw. I hope to be able to go to the next one. Needless to say, I’m def rooting for her and voting her fan favorite.

And Finally, For Liz

Lizzy Berry has been asking me to post process images and examples from my sketchbook. I’ve recently been making more of an effort to draw in them (I usually write out stuff). It’s hard to put this up when Brandon Graham has the greatest livejournal in the world, but I guess if I can tell Liz to believe in herself, I can take my own advice. So, here’s a string of scans from my recent sketchbooks.

these pages are from my newest sketchbook. The bald chick is the lead singer from The Emperors of New Skete, who will appear in an upcoming chapter of Spoilers. Trying to get used to drawing her.

I like that crazy dude on top. I was trying to loosen up with those fellas.

And here’s a page out of my Spoilers sketchbook. This is how I lay out all my chapters at first. Then I lay down rough approximations of the layouts on the full size paper, trying to figure out acual sizing proportions, whether transitions will work right. Then I finish up the pencils, ink, scan and fix up the rest in Photoshop.

Hope this is helpful for someone!

Talk to you cats later.

Hey friends,

Holy smokes, what happened? One thing I’ve learned from the internet, blogging is hard. To make it up to you guys, here’s some new Spoilers.

Nineteenth Nervous Breakdance

This one is called “Oh…” and, while you can check it out here, the effect really works best when seen on the site (but that goes without saying, right?)

(more…)

So my dear buddy, Hector Andres Mountains, put together a little list on his Tumblr, in which he counts down the 20 most influential records to his life released between now and 2000. I’m not sure how much of a meme this is (he admits he loves a meme or two) — regardless, I couldn’t get it out of my brain the idea of making my own.

Music is pretty important to me, I would say. In fact so is Andy (as we’ve always known Hector) and the two topics are inter-twined throughout the years going back to, hey, the year 2000 (give or take). This was our coming-of-age decade and my ears have been opening to the artistry of music throughout, thanks in a large part to Andy’s recommendations (Not only does he now work in the music industry, he’s actually on this list!). If I were making a list of influential records I had first heard in the 2000s, this would be an impossible list. With the exception of maybe Raffi, I would have to choose from every single album that’s steered my life in the direction I’m heading now. Luckily, they only had to be released in this decade, but that’s still been a bit of a task.

So some things to lay out at the start: I wanted to make this about albums, and not include soundtracks, live records or other compilations (I had to make one exception, sorry). I tried to focus on albums that are just that — cohesive works that function together as a whole. It’s this aspect of the “album” that influences me most in my life and work, so I wanted to highlight that. In that regard, these are the records that have been the most influential and important, not necessarily my favorites. That would probably be a different list, simply because my tastes have adjusted over the years. That being said, by the time we get to the top 5 or so, you can feel confident that I still care very deeply about those records. (more…)