Podcast Interview with Leia Weathington & Friends

So much news this week! I had the delightful pleasure of being a guest on the Happy Go Lucky Podcast last weekend. The show is hosted by three of my favorite Portland people: Leia Weathington, Ben Coleman, and Jesse David Morgan, who deliver an hour or so of witty and (occasionally) enlightening banter every week. As Leia puts it in her (very accurate) episode summary:

Y’all gonna learn some shit about boats and what it’s like to be on a boat wearing canvas pants and what it’s like to draw comics about being on a boat in canvas pants.

We also cover my favorite bird of the moment (the potoo), the realities of plank-walking, sexual tension in Master and Commander, pirate re-enactors, pelicans on Portland transit, and purchasing expensive steak after having too much to drink on a Saturday night.

You can subscribe to the show on iTunes, or just listen straight through your browser!

Indie Comics & Publishing Panel Tomorrow

What ho, blog friends! Just wanted to let you know I’ll be appearing on a panel in Portland tomorrow as part of this neat event called The Wild. If you have an interest in print goodness, why not stop by to hear Sarah Mirk, Zack Soto, Francois Vigneault, and yours truly discuss the state of comics and independent publishing in the digital age? The panel will be moderated by Justin Hocking and it’s absolutely free! It all goes down tomorrow (Tuesday) from 7pm to 8:30pm at the Independent Publishing Resource Center (1001 SE Division St). More details on the event site.

See you there!

Relief

You know the feeling. The fear that a triggering situation will arise in your future and incapacitate you the same way it’s done so many times before. And then, it happens. And you don’t care in the slightest. And it’s magical.

(Due to popular demand it looks like I’ll be making postcards of this image in the near future. Stay tuned!)

Baggywrinkles #4 is Here!

WOW. Wow. I can’t process into words how amazing TCAF was this year, so I’m just going to cut to the chase and let you all know that Baggywrinkles 4 was a monstrous hit this weekend, and now it’s time to put the comic into general release for all of you to enjoy! There are several ways to get the most out of your reading experience, so choose carefully.

1. This Post (Free and Easy)

You can scroll past all this nonsense to cut straight to the chase and read Baggywrinkles #4 on the site. Easy peasy!

2. Digital Edition (Free or Pay-What-You-Will)

If you’d like something more lasting, why not download the PDF edition from Gumroad? The PDF is free, but there’s a pay-what-you-will option built in, so if you enjoy the story and would like to chip in a few bucks towards the completion of the next comic, this is the best bet for you!

3. Physical Copy ($5 + Shipping)

Die-hard Baggywrinkles fans will most likely want a physical copy of the comic, which is TOTALLY AVAILABLE. Phew! You can pre-order via Storenvy this very second! Hard copies will begin shipping on Friday.

Unfortunately, I’ve had to stop hand-sewing all my books due to time constraints (I did the math. Did you know I’ve hand-bound over 600 copies of Baggywrinkles since I started the series? NUTS.), so this issue will be stapled, but the comic does feature a very nice recycled cardstock cover and 16 creamy interior pages of comics goodness. I think it looks swell. I’m also happy to doodle in the copies you purchase if you’d so desire.

So with all that out of the way, here’s the comic! Enjoy!

TCAF This Weekend! New Issue of Baggywrinkles! EXCLAMATORY STATEMENTS!

Hey gang! Have I got news for you. Not only am I flying to TORONTO tomorrow to table at TCAF, but I’ve also just completed the fourth installment of BAGGYWRINKLES! I AM REALLY EXCITED ABOUT ALL OF THIS.

So. Here are the deets:

Baggywrinkles #4: The Plank (prototype edition).

This sucker is making its debut this weekend at the Toronto Comic Arts Festival. After I get back from the show, I’ll be putting it up for free right here on the site so you can get all your plank-learnin’ in one place. I’ll also be re-stocking back issues of Baggywrinkles, so the store will once more be fully operational! Thanks for your patience during the last couple months. Things have been nuts.

Speaking of TCAF, here’s what’s up: I’ll be at table #148 with my buddy Jen Vaughn in the Toronto Public Library Saturday and Sunday this weekend. The show is totally free and full of incredible cartoonists from all over the globe. I am so. thrilled. to be participating this year. Come say hi, squeak the walrus, check out some nautical comics goodness. You know the drill.

SEE YOU IN CANADA!

Stumptown Comics Fest This Weekend!

It’s that time of year again, folks! The Stumptown Comics Fest arrives this weekend and I’ll be boating it up at table D02 with fellow nautical cartoonist Molly Hayden for all your Baggywrinkle-related needs. The show runs Saturday (10am to 6pm) and Sunday (12pm-6pm) at the Oregon Convention Center, and costs $10 per day or $15 for the whole weekend — a steal! Kory Bing was kind enough to make this goofy map, where you can see all the fabulous folks who’ll be tabling around me!

Basically, it’s gonna be a party.

Speaking of parties, I’ll also be participating in the annual Stumptown Art Battle during the official Saturday night after party at the Jupiter Hotel! Come see me duke it out with fellow cartoonists Ming Doyle, Dash Shaw, Jeff Parker, Mike Russell, and Cat Farris as we vie for your drunken approval.

ADDITIONALLY: Those of you who missed my Freelance Badassery talk in January can catch it in an all-new incarnation on Saturday from 12-12:45 in Room B113. The Righteous Creative will be a snappy 45-minute pep talk to help you navigate the pitfalls of dealing with inner critics and figuring out how to do the work you love. We’ll discuss strategies for conquering the blank page, building and maintaining momentum, and staying on target. Bring your best creative productivity tips, as there will be a skill-share portion of the discussion.

Apart from that, I’ll just be hanging out at the table for the rest of the weekend, so come say hello! Table wares include Baggywrinkles 1, 2, and 3*, True Believer, Tales from the Fragment, button packs, prints, ladies’ t-shirts, original watercolors (I only have a few of the super-popular talking birds left!), and the one, the only, SQUEAKY WALRUS.

*A note about Baggywrinkles #4: Although I had originally planned to have the issue out by Stumptown, my unexpected trip home to help my dad recover from hip surgery threw a spanner in the works and set me back a few weeks. Rest assured, I’m busting my buns to get it finished in time for TCAF, so if you’re dying for a copy it should be here by mid-May. Thanks for understanding, guys! I’ll bring some of the in-progress pages so you can all get a sneak peek.

See you on the floor!

Nope

Some days, man.

This was largely a practice piece to try drawing a comic start to finish in Photoshop. I definitely prefer Manga Studio for inking, but until I upgrade to the new release I’m still more comfortable doing color stuff in PS — though lordy do I still have a lot to learn. This is all because I’ve started a rad secret project with two amazing digital artists (Bridget and Carolyn!) and need to get myself up to speed with their lightning-fast abilities. Anyway, baby steps.

Leave a holler in the comments if you have any favorite digital coloring resources or inspirations!