Dealing with Sharks

At a coffee shop playing Dinosaur Jr, not a bad way to spend a gray Sunday afternoon.  I'm ready for summer.  Ready for warmth and excitement.  I'm tired of spring.  Tired of gray days and heavy hearts.   I'm lucky I have such awesome friends who support each other and are open with each other even when things are bad and scary.  It makes me proud but also sad and frustrated with the people who try to threaten that or take it away.  So I made a comic about it.  Sticking with the sea creatures for now.



I'm also hosting a reading this week at the Read/Write library that my friend and former tourmate is reading at.  Here is the flyer I made for it:


This week is my 30th birthday, so I'll be suddenly in my 30's, which I'm excited for.  I definitely thought being 30 would look different..but I'm not worrying about it too much.  I'm sure you'll read my comics about it in the future!

better things

I'm finally back in the swing of making things!  There's always a good couple week decompression time after Chicago Zine Fest happens that I don't want to do ANYTHING..but I think that has luckily passed.  Zine Fest was amazing.  It's hard to imagine doing something of that magnitude again every year but every year I think "how could I not?!"

Recently my best friend since first grade Jamie Walsh, started a website called The Quickest Flip it's a really awesome curated space to sell art.  I have a page and so do a lot of other really talented people.  Jamie decided to make a publication by the same name with an open call to artists.  I just finished my submission for it which is a one page comic.  This is my first time doing a 3-panel style comic and coloring a comic so I'm pretty excited about it!


I also finished another comic that was supposed to be for a free comic book day comic my friend Neil Brideau was putting together, but due to personal stuff I missed the deadline.  Welp, here it is anyway:


I usually hate the spring.  When it was super warm out it was helping me forget that but alas, real spring seems to be creeping in.  It seems like the time when people leave and although it's the time of flowers blooming and trees budding it always seems the opposite in my life.  Ah Mr. Eliot you're so right "April is the cruelest month."
What can you do but paint pictures, make mix cds and snuggle with cats to feel better?

back from the dead!

Hey!  I've been in Chicago Zine Fest lock down mode--but I'm back!
Exciting stuff is happening.  Mostly that it's Chicago Zine Fest  week!!

Because things aren't crazy enough, I'm doing a reading tonight to benefit CZF which features many amazing zine readers and zinesters in bands playing.  So excited about it!!

Show starts at 6:30 tonight, 814 W 18th street, tell your friends!

CHICAGO ZINE FEST kicks off Friday at 1pm at the Conaway Center at Columbia College!

I've been working on this since August, so I'm pretty excited about it happening.

Check out the floor plans of Exhibitors online here

I will have some things set up at the organizers' table on the 8th floor table #45. 

This will be the first time EVER you will be able to buy my new book Stella's Big Wish

I'm really excited, I had them printed through Lulu in the end which is making them cost a bit more ($7) but I think they're worth it and really glad I have copies to sell now!

To finish out the weekend we're having a karaoke afterparty next Saturday night that should be a blast.

Here is the flyer I made for it:

I can't wait for next weekend--I hope to see everyone there!!!!

First Snow

Last night was the first snow of the year.  It's late this year.  Although I'm not a huge fan of the cold, looking out and seeing the snow blowing under the streetlamps on Mozart is a magical feeling.  I really love it and it feels like things are really changing.

Tomorrow is already time again for the Milwaukee Zine Fest!

I love this zine fest because it marks the anniversary of Matt, Ramsey, Neil and I's decision to start Chicago Zine Fest.  It was 3 years ago now already!  Sadly, just Neil and I are left from the original crew but we'll be tabling with Zine Fest goods and our own zines tomorrow from 10-5 at the Falcon Bowl.

What new things will I have there?
Sadly, not much.  I finished my book Stella's Big Wish at long last
Here is the cover:

And a couple sample pages:

I printed two copies through lulu and was going to get more but was not entirely happy with the printing...so I don't have any copies for Milwaukee unfortunately.  I will figure it out soon and post more info when they're available!  Hopefully soon!

Here are a couple of little drawings I did for my friend Jamie's website (more about that in the future too!)
"party/happy/fun" pic:

"trading" pic:


And lastly, Chicago Zine Fest is in full swing.  Can't begin to say how excited I am about things going on this year.  Holiday fundraiser, with our NEW ARTWORK by the amazing Lilli Carré

Free Fallin'

Listening to a lot of Tom Petty, getting a lot of work done.
It's been so gorgeous out and I've had a few unexpected days off from work, which is great for getting real work done.
My friend and former tourmate Jim Joyce is putting together a Halloween zine he asked me to be a part of.  These four pages were my contribution:





I'm excited to see it all together.  Also in the zine are Xavier Maldonado, Dave Roche, Vicky Lim and more!

I've been working non stop on a project I can't share..shhhhh it's a surprise for someone!  But I'm really excited, so just rest assured there's a lot of work going on.
photo proof:


Fall means getting back in Zine Fest swing.  We're back on a weekly meeting schedule and hosting our first fundraiser Oct. 24th.  Here's the flyer I made for the reading:



Speaking of zine fests, I'll be at the Madison Zine Fest Oct. 22nd--if you're in the area or looking for a day trip, come say hi!  I'm excited to go back to Madison.  It was really lovely this time of year last year.  

End of Summer

It officially feels like the end of summer these past few days.  I saw a few trees starting to turn color this week.  I've been spending a lot of time holed up in my apartment with my roommate Sara Drake drawing, eating curry and watching Gossip Girl before she leaves to teach comics in Cambodia in mid-October.

Whenever it turns to fall I start missing Michigan.  Seeing the leaves change, going apple picking and drinking cider.  Hopefully I will make it back there soon and see my niece (who is already 10 months old!)  For now, here is a comic about how much I love my family (awwwww..)

Read 'em and Weep

Tour was an amazing time. It's pretty incredible to put something together that depends so much on other people caring about what you do and just hope that they come through. It reminded me what I love about the DIY punk community and it felt really weird in a lot of ways to finally have something to share within that group. I don't usually do picture posts but tour deserves it.

We started our adventures in Grand Rapids, MI--my old town. Our friend Sara Baier set up the reading at a really nice art space. There was an awesome mix of old friends and people I didn't know who came out to the reading. Kate Mosher, my old roommate and dear friend, read for the first time and it was really outstanding.

We ate Brickroad Pizza (the best), went to the tire swing, visited Gerald Ford, walked the river and the skywalks then hung out with old friends at the Pyramid Scheme.

Next day we drove to Lakewood, OH. Stopping at Horrock's (my favorite grocery store) along the way for free coffee, melon and a quart of blueberries.

This is the crew: Dave Roche, Jim Joyce, Xavier Maldonado and me.

I don't have any pictures of our reading at the Soggy Dog house. We read at a show, in between bands, which actually worked out pretty well. Everyone who listened was really into it and it was fun being a part of a punk show. Our friend Bri Z was moving to Cleveland the next day so we decided to do a real late night drive to Pittsburgh instead of bugging her by staying at her place. Late night drive with Coast to Coast and cookies--good stuff.

We actually stayed in Braddock, PA where a bunch of kids are living now trying to form a community in a pretty run down industrial town. They cooked us an amazing brunch and we got to see the kids from the Ambulars who had played a show the night before.

Jen Twigg and Ramsey Beyer. We all organized Chicago Zine Fest together. Jen's been away most of the summer and Ramsey lives in Philadelphia now.

Ice cream at Oh Yeah.

The reading that night in Pittsburgh was at the Cyberpunk Apocolypse. Which is a really awesome collective space that houses Artnoose's letterpress studio and does writing residencies.

Artnoose reading:

It was a great reading and lots of nice people came out. We headed back to Braddock that night for rootbeer floats and hang outs. Then headed to Philly the next day

We went and got pizza at Blackbirds once in Philly and Ramsey and I snuck off to the Grindcore House (all vegan coffee shop!) before the reading.

The reading was at the Woodenshoe Bookstore. Which is an awesome radical space in Philly.

That night we hung out with Ramsey and watched the movie Twins

We went to Satellite the next morning and then headed out to the Big Apple.

The reading was at Book Thug Nation, Aaron Cometbus' bookstore in Williamsburg. It was slightly intimidating to read in front of him, but it went so so well we all felt amazing afterwards. Reading with Cristy Road and Carrie Colpitts was pretty rad as well.

So of course we went and treated ourselves to ice cream at Lula's

And we got to hang out with J who just moved to Brooklyn from Chicago.

The next day we got breakfast at Breakfast all Day and then headed to DC.

Our DC show was very last minute. We had planned to go to Baltimore the whole time and it just kept falling through so I asked a zine friend Shira if she could set something up with about 3 days notice in DC. Amazingly, people came! I really couldn't believe it. We owe DC big time.

We hung out with Shira that night and watched a show called whisker wars with a guy who does professional beard competitions and was featured on the show a bit. Funny stuff.

Breakfast at Sticky Fingers with David and Shira, two of the best in DC

Then headed off for a long drive from DC to Columbus. Wasn't so bad and listened to some PG Wodehouse to pass the time (though no one seemed as into it as me)

We read at a house called the Iuka house who were all super sweet people and cooked us an amazing taco dinner!

Ryan J read with us, he also set up the reading for us. He's an awesome Columbus kid.

We went and hung out at the Tiger's Jaw show at the Monster House for awhile afterwards, it was so packed we couldn't even go into the basement to see them! We stayed with Ryan and ate some Pattycake cookies (best vegan bakery!) The next day met up with everyone for burritos before heading to Louisville.

Of all the readings Louisville was definitely the least attended. It was at a coffee shop called Quills that was super nice and the people who did come were very enthusiastic about our reading, which was nice.

Dave did decide to take his clothes off while reading though to spice up the night a bit.

Jake, who is awesome and set up the reading had to work, so we decided to go straight to Bloomington rather than stay in Louisville.

We stayed with Charlie who used to live in Chicago too until a month ago. Bloomington always feels good to visit, so many fun kids and such a relaxed town.

We went to a bbq, ate pesto pizza and then met up with Eric to do his youth radio show.

Our last reading was at Boxcar Books, a really awesome bookstore and zine shop.

The one and only Kari Jorgensen read with us--she's the best.

We went night swimming and then to a dance party after the reading.

The next day we went to the Owlery which is a restaurant my good friend Toby opened with his partner Ryan. It's pretty incredible that they did this. It's such a cute place and everyone who works there are friends.

And then we headed back to Chicago. Overall, I can't say enough about how amazing it is to have people support and acknowledge what you do. Having positive feed back night after night about what I've chosen to do with my life right now is pretty huge and feels so good. It inspires me to keep making things, thanks everyone!

(also a few of these pictures were stolen from Ramsey and Dave)