Drawing on Location at the Jalopy Theater

On Monday I took the day off from my photo job to draw Ernesto Gomez, Arturo Jugman, Walker Shepard, Jackson Lynch, and some others at the Jalopy Theater during the Brotherhood of the Jugband Blues recording session. The idea is to collect good drawings for the album artwork. It was slow going, since people move a considerable amount when they play instruments. They usually oscillate between two poses, and you have pick one and keep looking for the moment when they go back into the pose. It's a really fun and challenging way to draw.

Back from SPX - The Small Press Expo

This was my very first time tabling at a convention, and the feedback from other artists was incredible, inspiring, and awesome. Another cool piece of news: Haditha/Katrina and Bethesda minis were selected to be included in the SPX Collection at the Library of Congress. Josh Kramer (Cartoon Picayune) and J.T. Yost (Digestate, Birdcage Bottom Books) were there selling copies of the anthologies I've been lucky to be a part of, it was great hanging out with them and seeing all their hard work paying off--really beautiful comic books! Susie Cagle's thoughts on comic making shared in the Comics on Assignment panel were really inspiring to me. She's done great work in reporting on the Occupy movement and women's health issues in California, where she is based.

Me and Tom Hart with my Sequential Artists Workshop Grant!

Me and Matt Bors talking about how cool comics are.

 

SAW Micro-Grant

I just received the great news that my grant application to the Sequential Artists Workshop Micro-Grant program was accepted. Funds were limited and applications were abundant in number and talent. I'm honored to share this distinction with Julia Gfrorer, her work is really beautifully drawn. You can see some of her work and read about her here on the Comics Journal. Congrats Julie and thank you, Tom Hart and SAW!

Haditha/Katrina in Color

Here's the full version of the comic in Issue 78 (New South Journalism) issue of The Oxford American. Go swipe (and pay for) a copy at your local bookstore. New Yorkers: McNally Jackson has them in, and everyone that works there is nice (and handsome).

Table at SPX

J.T. Yost passed me this great exhibitor map, which highlights all the contributors to Digestate that will be there (I'm at D12B, next to the fabulous Jen Tong, who will have new silkscreen books!)

Find me at SPX this Saturday and Sunday in Bethesda, MD. I'll be selling comics and drawing pictures.

Exhibitor map a la Digestate autographer locations.

A picture of J.T. with all those copies of Digestate!

Haditha/Katrina on the SPX Debuts page.

Bethesda Part One + Haditha/Katrina Shout-Outs

Here's the Bethesda comic in its entirety so far. This story was told to me by First Lieutenant Michael Rhoads of the Marines in late April of this year at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center with other artists from the Society of Illustrators. More stories from Nathan Rimpf and Joshua Wetzel will be added later, probably in late October when the residency is winding down.

*EDIT* I've posted the color version I created in March 2013.

This story will be available as a mini-comic at next week's Small Press Expo in Bethesda, MD. It also appears in the forthcoming issue of  The Cartoon Picayune, Issue #4 Distress. There was a nice mention of the CP issue and Haditha/Katrina comic on the SPX blog. Haditha/Katrina also got some nice shout-outs on Graphic Ladies Tumblr, and the Symbolia website (albeit pixelated as all heck).

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Fan Photos For The Oxford American

Diana and I do a poor job containing our excitement for the new issue of the Oxford American. What's that you're reading? No big deal--just great comics journalism in a nationally distributed magazine.

Haditha/Katrina on Newsstands Now in OA New South Journalism Issue

The first eight pages of Haditha/Katrina (in full, glorious color) are featured in the current New South Journalism Issue of The Oxford American. Get yourself a copy at your local bookstore!

I will post a shameless photo update when I get my copy. Thanks to Wes Enzinna and the rest at OA for being gracious enough to spell check and add commas where applicable. You guys are great.

If you scroll to the bottom of their BLOGS page, this blog is currently listed in their contributors section. Yay comics journalism!

In other news, the background of page one of the Haditha comic is my mother's front yard. She lives in Pass Christian, MS and got some serious flooding yesterday, here's a photo for reference:

Comics Debuting at SPX

The Small Press Expo, an annual expo celebrating small and independent publishers, will take place in Bethesda, MD this year on September 15th and 16th. Josh Kramer will be there representing contributors to his anthology, The Cartoon Picayune, and selling some of his comics, too. My ten page comic, Bethesda, a story about meeting First Lt. Michael Rhoads' during his recovery at Walter Reed, will be featured in the forthcoming edition. You can see the cover design and read more about it here.

I'll have copies of Status Quo Ante Bellum, City Chickens, Haditha/Katrina Pt. 1, and Bethesda. Three debuting mini-comics! Whoa! I recently purchased a saddle stapler and will be folding and stapling into the wee hours for the next few weeks.

J.T. Yost will also be there, selling his great comics at the Birdcage Bottom Books table, along with copies of his massive, gorgeous anthology, Digestate, which also features the ten page comic I made about my neighbors who raise chickens in a community garden (City Chickens).

Latest Dispatch From Walter Reed

I had an incredibly smooth and wonderful trip earlier this month to WRNMMC. Robert Bates came all the way from North Carolina; Victor Juhasz and Mike Fay was there, too. Our chaperon that day, Howard Clark, was a great  ally in securing us longer portrait sessions with each service member. It was clear to me that the hospital has also cut back on extraneous visitors, making our visit more relaxed and less hurried.

Joshua Wetzel, Army.

First Lt. Nathan Rimpf, Army.

In an effort to imitate the beautiful line quality Victor gets in his life drawing, I drew these portraits with some woodless colored pencils. I'm happy I tried this out. The combination of using full color and having double the amount of time we're usually allowed to draw resulted in tighter drawings with greater character. Both of these men were injured about a month before I met them, were double amputees, and are now walking on prosthetic legs in physical therapy. The pace of their recovery is astounding. These men are really determined and hard-working, accept no pity, and see their situation as just part of the job of being a soldier at war. To top it off, they've both got a wicked sense of humor and were so hospitable and welcoming. I wish there were more people in the world like Josh Wetzel and Nathan Rimpf.

I'll be returning to Walter Reed the weekend of the Small Press Expo in September to visit Josh and Nathan to draw their portraits again. They've both shared stories I am including in the comic book. I am so excited to work on this project with them.

Photo courtesy Prayers for Josh Wetzel Facebook Page.

Photo courtesy Nathan Rimpf Support Fund Facebook Page.

New York Times Homepage Today

Two of my favorite illustrators, Victor Kerlow and Eleanor Davis, are featured in homepage articles this morning. What a nice surprise!

Bethesda Ink Page Nine

I like the way this page sorted itself out. I am improving my lettering, but had so many other ideas on how to make letters and design things after I finished this ten pager. I will wait to post the full version until closer to the publication date. I am pretty happy with it. I'm going to visit Walter Reed again on Tuesday, this time I think I will focus on getting good drawings rather than good stories. Carrying around an audio recorder makes me feel like a jerk, so I'm not sure I'll use it. I have new stories to work on and that's been occupying my thoughts. Gearing up also to print some comics for the Small Press Expo. I aim to have copies of The City Chickens, Bethesda (Pt. 1), and Haditha Katrina (Pt. 1) at the expo.

I've recently read this essay by Josiah White, an Iraq War veteran and former Marine, who I have been in touch with and am working with on a comic story. It is beautifully done, read it when you can, it's very good.