The Revenge of Whatever You Want

To help keep the bills at bay while working on the inaugural issue of Forlorn Funnies, I'm once again running a limited time offer (from now through March 14th) to draw whatever you want. And responding to various e-mails and requests, this time around there are more options.

What are the options? You've got three ways to go: your cubist portrait, three word association, and the classic: whatever you want. (I've also provided a few options for various sizes for people wanting larger works (going all the way up to 18 x24").) To explicate the options a bit: you want to see how your mom and your cat look fractured into a non-fixed perspective? The Cubist Option is your friend. You want to spit out three words of your choosing and see what my brain does with them? Go for the Three Word Option. You need to see the bassist of Slayer throwing lawn darts with a panther? Then it's time to get Whatever You Want. Get it 18x24 and make all the other panthers jealous.

As a reminder: these drawings won't be as developed as finished pages from a book or commercial work, but they'll certainly be far, far more rendered than anything I scrawl on a title page at a book signing. (A few examples of last summer's results are above and below.)

(OFFER EXPIRED MARCH 14th)

Be sure to include your address, any and all details you want me to keep in mind for the drawing (which, I should emphasize is for personal display/use/burning only, not commercial projects), and to whom you want the drawings signed (if anyone). All art will ship via priority mail. Allow two weeks from placing the order. Then kaboom: your personalized cubist/three-word/whatever it is.

Yapping at The University of Chicago

As a sort of introduction to the campus before I begin teaching a course in the Creative Writing department (a course titled "Writing the Graphic Novel"), I will be speaking at The University of Chicago tomorrow. The talk is open to the public, and it is my understanding that there will be snacks. Let me repeat the seriousness of this event: snacks.

I'll be going over a variety of projects, both past and future, as well as discussing some of my convoluted process for producing work. And I solemnly swear to discuss the below two comic books (two of the first comics I ever owned). Godzilla will have his day in the Wild West, turkey.

Here is where and when the Karate-Kid-as-a-metaphor-for-Aryan-disco-militants discussion will occur:

Wednesday, February 24
4:30-6:30 pm
Classics 110
University of Chicago
1010 E. 59th Street
Chicago, IL 60637

Prints From The Flat Files (Redux)

Since I've been receiving e-mails about this: yes, there are still prints available from the previous post (though The Holy Consumption posters (of which I had very few to begin with) are almost out). You can purchase them here (or just scroll down a bit).

Sock Garters, Swan, and Sci-Fi

I sat down with Brandon Wetherbee of the You, Me, Them, Everybody podcast to skip across topics such as mystery novels, crayons, Curt Swan, Robert Crumb, District 9, sock garters, Pixar, syndicated cartoons, Spider-Man, touring with bands, and facial moisturizer. A good time was had by all in a tiny room.

Royal Jelly

If you've been wondering what my arm looks like while I answer questions about the inherent worth of human experience, the wait is finally over. I know, I know, it's hard to contain all the excitement.

My apologies to interviewer John Orlow (who filmed a video of me drawing Hegel at San Diego Comic-Con): this was posted months ago, but I failed to notice that there was a centralized page for the interviews. For other interviews with Tim Hensley, Lisa Hanawalt, Sammy Harkham, and John Pham, visit Mr. Orlow's Royal Jelly Video Magazine.

The Order of Odd-Fish Paperback

James Kennedy's delirious and captivating first novel, The Order of Odd-Fish, is available now in paperback, an edition for which I drew the cover. I've yet to see the physical book in this edition, but I can wholeheartedly recommend the story in any incarnation. James' writing is as masterful as it is teetering, skittering, exploding, and crisp.

Mutton Chops and Bunny Ukes

Two videos (featuring those never fail characters: crocheted rabbit and Steve Buscemi) that have nothing to do with one another but also nothing to do with the Superbowl, exploding power plants, politicians behaving poorly, or other things you might be burned out on right about now.

Prints From The Flat Files

In reorganizing my flat file drawers, I came across heaps of various prints, some of which I thought had long ago sold out. So for a while (until they really (no, really) sell out), these three prints will be available for purchase here on the blog.

A brief explanation of the prints:The Project Superior poster (designed by Chris Pitzer of AdHouse Books and printed by Jay Ryan of The Bird Machine) was pulled from the cover art I did for the book. The Holy Consumption poster is a sort of "exquisite corpse" drawing from all four artists of The Holy Consumption, promoting an event at Quimby's years ago. The Mother, Come Home print (also printed by Jay Ryan, and representing the first time we ever worked together) is advertising an entirely fictitious reading by "author" Thomas Tennant. The yellow text is a bit hard to read in the photo, but it says "Oct. 27 6:00pm." Bonus points if you can figure out the significance of those figures.


Project Superior Poster, 2 Colors.

15x25" on French Speckletone paper. $30.

The Holy Consumption at Quimby's Poster, 3 Colors.

Approximately 15x30" on mixed stock (white and off white). $30.

"Mother, Come Home" Print, 4 Colors.

14x23" on French Kraft paper. $30.

Afrodisiac and The Time Machine

Jim Rugg can make 70's comics like nobody's business. I've yet to get my hands on this collection, which is sure to be a work of complete mastery, but I can already wholeheartedly recommend it from this trailer alone.