An NCS Nomination, the Publishing Grind, and Drawing Your Neurotic Dogs in Brooklyn This Weekend!

I have some massive news to share, and for once, it’s actually good...

The National Cartoonists Society has officially nominated our book for Best Book Illustration.

For us ink-stained scribblers, an NCS nomination is the peak of the mountain. But the truth is, this book almost died in the crib. Scott and I spent many, many months hunched over piles of paper, grinding out the comedy and the artwork, and there were several distinct moments when it looked like this thing would never see the light of day. Making a physical book in the modern publishing era is a fucking mind-boggling miracle of logistics.

The only reason you’re able to hold this book in your hands right now is because of the insane amount of energy of Scott and me to will it into existence, and the sheer, unadulterated tenacity of our agent, Nicole Resciniti at the Seymour Agency. When the publishing labyrinth got dark, Nicole became a bulldozer. She fought for this project, she championed our work, and we are incredibly proud to finally share the result with you.

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Of course, in this industry, the churn never stops. We are already back in the trenches. Next up is “You’re Not A Real Parent Until…” coming out this Fall, followed by “You’re Not A Real New Yorker Until…” dropping in Fall 2027. Stay tuned for more on the launch, because we are going to be making a lot of noise about them.

But speaking of the hustle, you don’t have to wait until the Fall to watch us sweat…

This weekend, Scott and I are dragging our pens, ink, and a stack of these newly nominated books across the river to Artists & Fleas in Williamsburg (70 North 7th St). We’ll be set up in the market from Friday through Sunday.

If you haven’t been to Artists & Fleas, it’s a brilliant, chaotic hub of independent makers, vintage curators, and Brooklyn creatives. We aren’t just going to be sitting behind a table hawking books, either. We’re bringing the studio to the market floor.

Bring us your weird, neurotic, beautiful dogs!

We will be doing live, custom dog portraits on the spot, and we will be drawing your dog directly into the physical pages of the book right in front of you. It’s part live art, part comedy crowd-work, and entirely a spectator sport

Come down to Williamsburg this weekend. Buy a book, immortalise your dog, and watch us ply our trade in the wild.

See you out there.
Your pal,

PS. Look, if this actually did something nice for your brain (or at least distracted you from the creeping dread of your own inbox for six minutes), please consider restacking this and sharing it with your people. It’s the only way the word spreads.