#376: MoCCaFest 2024 + Arnie Roth & Society of Illustrators Sketch Night

+ A New Dooley, A New Pair of Specs, A New Drawing Tablet, Drawing for the kids at NAC NYC, & Morris falls in love with a small green Dinosaur.... and more!

…from outside my apartment, where I’m thawing out in the hazy Spring air without my frozen fingers snapping off as I type. I hope you’re having a great week.

First and foremost, a big congratulations to my writing partner and podcast co-host,

Scott Dooley

on the birth of his son this past week! We’ll no doubt talk about it on an upcoming episode (Or not. it might not even come up.) IN the meantime you can hear the show here.

We didn’t record last week while his wife was in labour (lazy) but we’ll be back on deck this coming week. You can still get the few remaining copies of our book about being a parent at YoureNotAReal.com (Hurry, It’s on sale!)

A big week!

Scott has a new kid, I have a new pair of glasses. We’re basically the same person.

Lots more to share this week:

including a special new Sketchbook, another Inkwell event, and a story about Hairdryers and Piña Colada mix. It’s a big week, let’s get crackin’!

I’ll be appearing at MoCCAFest 2024 this weekend!

New Yorkers, be sure to stop by Booth #135 this Sunday from 11am-2:30pm where I’ll be tabling with @LukeyMcGarry at the NCS Booth @ MoCCaFest. MoCCA stands for the Museum of Comic & Cartoon Art, based on the 2nd floor of the Society of Illustrators on e63rd / Lexington Ave.

The event will be at Metropolitan Pavilion: 125 W 18th St, New York, NY on Saturday and Sunday, featuring panels with the likes of Adrian Tomine, and a special panel on comics in New York :

MADE IN NEW YORK
Room 1 | 1:30 – 2:30 PM

The art of comics is alive and well in New York City. It thrives in the shadow of multinational publishing conglomerates and exists against all odds in a massively gentrified city whose affordability gap only widens. Working across a range of styles and formats, Josh Bayer, E. A. Bethea, Juliette Collet, Austin English, Angela Fanche & John Vasquez Mejias demonstrate the wild diversity of comics in this city’s independent comics scene. Their work is currently featured in the Made in New York exhibit on view at the Society of Illustrators through April 6. Curator Bill Kartalopoulos will speak with these artists about their work and what it means to be an independent artist in New York City today.

I caught a peep of the exhibition this past week at the Society and it’s brilliant! While you’re there, take a look at the incredible work of Tomer Hanuka; one of my favourite illustrators and New Yorker cover artists of all time (I have a print of his 2014 cover “Perfect Storm” on my studio wall.)

See more about his exhibition here.

Arnie Roth’s Birthday!

I joined a bunch of fellow cartoonists and friends at the Roth’s apartment last week to celebrate Arnold’s birthday. Tom Gammill, fresh off the set of the latest season of Curb, had a special surprise for him, complete with marching band music. We all wore hats. It was a fun night in fine company!

(L-R: Steve O’Donnell, Tom Gammill, Jenny Robb, Arnold Roth, Idiot boy, Caroline Roth, Sean Kelly, Karen McDonnell, Charlie Kochman & Patrick McDonnell.)

We taught the kids at @nackidscan a little about onomatopoeia, action lines, foreshortening, and POW! These creative kids were off building their own comic adventures, using these mini comic book templates. I got to draw my favourite superhero, as ever…

.Thanks to our volunteers, @elanaamity @newyorkcartoons, Timothy Savage, and Elizabeth Winter, and to our fearless Event Director, @lisalabra for making this such a great night!

Excerpt:

I flagged down a passing cab and hurtled South back down the FDR towards Wall Street. I sweatily scribbled my particulars at the check-in desk. A small Korean-American woman pulled me aside, pushed me against a wall and took my photo with the flash an inch from my face.

Now permanently blind, I wandered into the audition room where the director was reclined on the couch. He'd had a day, and I was now the only thing between him and Happy Hour. Perfect conditions for success.

"Just be yourself," he grunted. "But, you know, be the character we wrote."

"Oh... yeah, of course. Totally." I nodded, not understanding what the hell that meant. I’d barely learned the lines in the car.

"I mean, Don't Act, but when we say action, act out the things we wrote."

"Got it," I said, confidently.

"And... Whenever you're ready."

"Sorry." I stopped. "I just - one thing before I.."

"Yeah." He said, annoyed.

"I'm Australian. Do you want me to do it as me, or me as an American?"

"You." He said.

"Okay. So, okay. Good."

He paused. Sighed deeply, "Aaaand whenever you're ready."

I took my time reading the sides, attempting to memorise them on the fly. I stared down the barrel and said, "Hi." being careful not to Act.

"I'm Guy, and I... hate soda."

"Okay, stop." The director interjected.

Keep reading…

This week’s very special edition Sketchbook is from last night’s Sketch Night at the Society of Illustrators, hosted by Xencelabs.

xencelabs_americas

A post shared by @xencelabs_americas

I got to show off their new 24” Pen Display for the life drawing event they hold each week, working digitally for a series of 5-minute poses.

I made an unboxing video of the new pen display— it’s pretty impressive and —God forbid— actually affordable!

Launching in April!

While I do love the convenience of an iPad/Wacom/Xenselabs tablet… I can’t ever replicate the joy of using analog tools. I’m launching a new Substack in April 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.

Until next time,
Your pal,

Jason

“Hold my calls. I think I’m in love.”