#353: Comics Crossroads Sketchbook, Nells Bells, & ComicLab Interview with Sarah Anderson (also me).

+ & Morris is 'On Brand'

I hope this fine day finds you dry and safe, unlike literally every inch of New York this past weekend. Just when I thought the ‘cold plunge’ craze had peaked, we were all doing it whether we liked it or not.

I say ‘we’ but I managed to somehow dodge the whole thing by being in Columbus for the entire time New York was submerged. Out of guilt, I took off all my clothes and jumped in the coldest pool I could find. The lifeguard didn’t seem to appreciate my act of solidarity. I can never return to the great state of Ohio.

I got some comments last week that this weekly version of the email is too long;

it cuts off in your inbox before it gets to the part you’re really here for:
The picture of Morris at the end. That’s fair.

To that end, going forward I’ll be more concise and keep this section down to…

1. Nell’s Bells!

I’m writing this before setting off to a comedy festival in Williamsport, PA called Nell’s Bells! The festival runs across the weekend with music, comedy, and cartooning hilarity— all helmed by the amazing New Yorker cartoonist, Emily Flake (Who has a fun new project out this month!). I’ll report back on the boundless japery that ensues, in next week’s edition.

2. Comic Lab (Live!) Podcast

On the final day of the Reubens in Jersey City, I got to join Dave Kellett and Brad Guigar’s live podcast, where special guest Sarah Andersen was sharing her extensive experience as a comics creator. We covered a lot of territory: from Sarah’s fascinating creative process to my very stupid Scotchbath Sunday ritual. (The full episode drops in the morning.)

Comic Lab is a podcast about being a professional comic artist.

It’s a podcast about making comics — and making a living from comics! It's half shop-talk, half how-to, and half friendship. WE SQUEEZED IN THREE HALVES. It's tips and tricks and all the joys of cartooning as a pro. So pull up your drawing chair, put on some headphones, and join us while you draw!

3. Cartoon Crossroads Columbus (CXC):

I just landed back in New York after being invited to speak at @cartooncrossroads. I yammered for almost a full hour without swearing* about how subscription-based models of sharing your work with the people who actually want to see it far surpass bleating into the algorithmically rigged abyss, hoping a small fraction of your millions of ‘followers’ hear you amid the noise. I’m happy you’re reading this — if you’re new here, and you signed up to

Substack

after watching my talk at CXC: Welcome!
If you want to learn more about what I was discussing, you can see my piece on deactivating my socials for a year here.

The things I send in addition to this free, weekly email are available only to paid supporters. If you’re seeing this and you’re already one of those exquisite legends, thank you for your support. If not, I would love you to consider throwing something in the jar, even if it’s just for a while.

CXC Sketches:

Over the course of 3 days, I managed to squeeze in a bunch of really fun comic-related events. Several of which I spent listening intently (read: sketching in my lap to keep me focused.)

I scored an early copy of Daniel Clowes’ new release “Monica” on Friday night, after watching him chat about it on stage for an hour. I couldn’t stop watching the animated faces of the signers (for hearing-impaired) on stage. They had such great expressions!

I sketched MS Harkness and Karl Krumpholz as they played F*ck/Marry/Kill for American cities, in their interesting session titled “City as a Character in Memoir/Autobiography”.

While I do love the convenience of a Wacom tablet/Xenselabs tablet/iPad pro or whatever you like using… I can’t ever replicate the joy of using analog tools. I’m starting a new Substack in 2024 called “Process Junkie” to explore all of the joys of the Process of making art. If you’re interested in that kind of thing, you can sign up here.

If you enjoy my work, there’s a hefty chance you might like the people I enjoy, too. Each week, I share a new person who tickles my fancy. This week’s person is…

Emily Flake

I mentioned above that Emily is the creator of Nell’s Bells, but what I didn’t mention is that she is also the generous mind behind St. Nell’s humor writing residency in Williamsport!

The residency is open to women+, non-binary folks, and other people of marginalized genders working in any humor-related field*. Besides the residency, they also offer Zoom classes led by working (and awesome!) humor professionals

*As far as “humor-related”, they’re using a broad (heh) definition: Short satire pieces, stand-up routines, screenplays, pilot scripts, novels, comics, rock operas, and engraved stelae. As long as its primary genre is humorous, it’s fair game.

I’ve done comedy shows with Emily, I’ve seen her do great New Yorker cartoons, and I’ve seen how well she can navigate a turnpike. It really is a sight to behold. Some day I’ll write up the story of coming back from a gig where I had my head down in the back seat looking at my phone and got carsick… out the window. On a highway.

Anyway! Aherm...

Check out her upcoming release here, and see more of her work here.

Until next time,
Your pal,

Jason

( Very ‘on brand’ on his green couch. )