Selfie Esteem

Squids and Dudes

Sketching in the studio on Friday, trying to find the etymology of the 'f word', and also drawing from video stills from the only known footage of a giant squid in habitat.

Train Sketchbook

I'm drawing in my sketchbook again, trying to reboot and draw for fun. I got some Tombow markers that are interesting, though I miss the Pentel color brush pens they used to carry at the art store. Here's some people in Brooklyn riding the D and 4 trains.

Debuting at SPX This Weekend

This Saturday and Sunday I will be selling comics at table W69 with Jess Worby, Mike Freiheit, Chris Duffy. I will also have a few Birdcage Bottom Books titles from J.T. Yost.

Mike Freiheit is visiting all the way from Chicago, and debuting Volume Two (?) of Monkey Chef, a comic about his time as a chef on a primate sanctuary in South Africa.

Here's a handy map I defaced for your convenience:

I'm excited about the comic I'll be debuting, Invisible Wounds. This sixteen-page comic is based on some beautifully written exchanges from Paul David Mansfield, an Army veteran of the Iraq War. After returning home from his last deployment, he discovers a lot about perceptions others have about his service, in addition to coming to terms with a diagnosis of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. His writing and story are so powerful, drawing comics has been an incredibly rewarding challenge. Hope to see you there!

Preview page from Invisible Wounds:

For more details on visiting the Small Press Expo in Bethesda, Maryland, visit the official SPX webpage.

Reading at Pete's Candy Store 8/23

The night before (8/23) Pete's Mini Zine Fest, there's a free-and-open-to-the-public reading from 6:30 until 7:30. I'll be reading an excerpt from a veteran interview or two, it should be cool and fun. 

Pete's Candy Store is located at 709 Lorimer St., between Frost and Richardson St. in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Take the L to Lorimer/G to Metropolitan.

Check out this cool poster Cat Gilbert made:

Northern Lights - Bowerbirds

These dudes are from Raleigh, NC and are pretty good at making music.

Awesome Dudes Who Like To Rock

This is a very belated commissioned painting for my Dad's friend. It was really lots of fun to paint. He asked for a painting of rock musicians in a rehearsal space singing and playing loud and angry music. I had intended to listen to loud music while I was painting this, but there was some cool ambient stuff playing in the studio.

Over the weekend, I witnessed Gregory Benton finish the last scribbles on his incredible book, B + F. Check out this article about it via Bleeding Cool. Can't wait for its release!

Pete's Mini Zine Fest August 24

This year's poster was created by the talented Morgan Pielli. Definitely keep your eyeballs on his work, it's super great. For more details, visit the official PMZF event page here.

In addition to selling comics on Saturday, I'll be participating in a brief creator reading the evening before @ Pete's on 8/23. I'll be reading excerpts from some of the interviews I've collected from veterans.

PMZF is a wonderful annual festival taking place in North Williamsburg at local watering hole and music venue, Pete's Candy Store. Delightfully low-budget and overflowing with creative talents, be sure to check it out--it's free!

I'll have the last few dregs of my printed matter available, as well as some shiny Birdcage Bottom Books titles for sale.

PMFZ 2013, Morgan Pielli.

The Decisions

Here's the four page comic interview I did for the Summer issue of Symbolia Magazine: Heroines. Thanks Joyce and Erin for the patient editing. You can order a copy (or better yet, subscribe) here. This is an excerpt of a longer story to be published in the veteran comic book next year. Nichole is a super talented and really fun person to be around, I think very few people would know she served in Iraq on meeting her.

 

Dadsville Comic

Here's a tiny preview of a two page comic I did for Dadsville, a father-themed comics anthology, about meeting my biological father in early July. The anthology is due later this year.

Tiny Paintings For Gouache Comic

These paintings are made from photos taken of Blaine in Cobleskill at the dairy farm. I'm making a lot of these paintings and assembling them digitally with text for a short comic.

Blaine Harlow Baker

When they walk through the valley of weeping

it will become a place of refreshing springs

The autumn rains will clothe it with blessings.

Sam Amidon - My Old Friend

They Sun But Look Like Rain