Clairikine Hits Paris ... Again!

As you will recall, thanks to the OFAJ/DFJW I returned to visit Paris again last July as part of raising awareness for my music and comic project with Sarah Ehrenholz, "Noémie - round trip". My good friend and frequent benefactor Alex was kind enough to donate funds towards a journal comic about the trip. The comic itself is now available as a DRM-free PDF on Gumroad for the looooww price of 2€ (or more) - and it is also free to read in its entirety on this very post, below the cut at the bottom!

Do you want to get your hands on the original pages of a future travel comic? Then watch this space! Alternatively, you can shoot me an email at clairykin - gmail to be first in line for the next one. They are made whenever I'm going on non-vacation-related trips, in small A5 notebooks (usually these). None are currently in the works, but plans change fast! UPDATE: several trips are in the works for 2014! Stay tuned!

Enough talk, then - enjoy !

For I have returned, etc.

 

Sisterly drawing session with Jonny, view from the quay at Hammarby Sjöstad. Contagious summer plague not pictured.

I'm back! I dropped off the grid for awhile to enjoy some downtime in Stockholm, took some pics, went walking up and down the city and engaged in loosely legal activity, more of which you will be seeing soon. It was good to have a break, but also good that things are back on track, 'cause there's new art lined up in the coming weeks for your enjoyment!

First off, if any of you are following me on Twitter or Tumblr and are inclined to sharing my musical interests, I'd advise you to keep your eyes peeled next week for a little somethin' I've been working on. 

Nextly, if you've been paying attention, you'll know I've had a travel journal up my sleeve these past few weeks. More to come on Tuesday! And then I have other things lined up for this fall. Like, you know, that webcomic of mine.

Until then, I'm off to a wedding in North Berlin. Toodles!

[ Jars of Clay - Reckless Forgiver ]

Björney!

This is Björney Stinson telling you all that I am leaving for Stockholm tomorrow and will return in a week. Can't wait! I haven't been in ages.

Ha det bra!

[ Tegan and Sara - I Can't Take It ]

Comicomat!

Last Saturday the Comicomat landed at Haus Schwarzenberg's Hoffest!

The Comicomat is basically a photobooth, but with comics. For a donation of their choice, visitors can sit in front of a one-way mirror and get their picture drawn by a rotation of cartoonists; the proceeds are then split between the artists.

A blog for the Comicomat is forthcoming; in the meantime, enjoy these shots (by Alise)!

Fanart: Hovercat

"There is a cat hovering in the men’s bathroom at the radio station here.

He seems perfectly happy and healthy, but he’s floating about four feet above the ground next to the sink."

I lied just a bit about not updating, because more fan art. I recently started listening to Welcome to Night Vale (spurred on by the contagious Kate Leth, to whom I also owe my awareness of Amanda Palmer). So far it hasn't made me crawl entirely out of my skin yet, but it could get there.

Stay safe.

 [ Kelli Rudick - We Would Love Each Other ] 

Fanart: "Cry"

***

The text for this comic comes from a blog post that appeared on Spinner.com in 2008. That site now seems to be entirely gone; a copy of the original blog was posted here.

So. Tegan and Sara.

Tegan and Sara have been the soundtrack to my life ever since I came across a blurb about them in SPIN magazine the summer of 2007. Their last three records especially touched on key moments in my life. In the fall of 2007, after The Con came out, I was living in a giant house in a wealthy village near Lyon, France, and while I was looking for jobs to pay for my year off from college I found myself navigating a breakup. (It was not unlike the season of house-dwelling Tegan describes.) In 2009, Sainthood came out, and I was pining for someone I deemed was pretty close to a saint.

Even at the Astra show last June, I realized that without the new songs from Heartthrob, I would be processing a variety of things that I've experienced this year (goodbyes, disappointment, shocks) very differently. Their music is an integral part of my life, going on six years, and it meant a lot to me to see them live.

I started writing this comic in 2010 - after wanting to use the text since 2008 - but finally got around to drawing it at Easter of this year. My initial plan was to deliver the finished product to the Quins at their Berlin show via the mail bag they often have. Sadly I ran out of time, but I did leave them a package of my comics and a letter thanking them. It was a big project compared to everything I've done thus far and has taught me quite a lot. Mainly that I want to make more comics.

Which is good, because next on the dock is the return of Master of Survival! That drawing hiatus is now over, so I will be sitting down to that as soon as I can. In the meantime I am taking a couple weeks off from updating this blog. In the meantime, stay cool!

[ Tegan and Sara - The Con (live) ]

Weekend Woohoo: Clyde the Turtle

As I've mentioned before, I started watching CBS' adaptation of the Sherlock Holmes stories, Elementary, a few months ago. I happen to like it very much and made some fanart of one of the show's staples, a turtle named Clyde that Sherlock adopts midway through the season. It got a big reception on Tumblr this week (does this mean I can stay in 5-star hotels now) and I like the way it turned out, so -- obscure television references notwithstanding, please have some turtle drawings.

Also, after many months of secretive tweeting, gramming and tumbling the Secret Project is finally going live this Tuesday. Stay tuned! And have a great weekend.

Consider the lilies

I drew this last Saturday at a drink'n'draw in Görlitzer Park! Astrid was there as well. The book I'm rereading is Julia Wertz' The Infinite Wait & Other Stories, which I can but recommend if you want to laff heartily.

Secret Project is nearly done being inked! To be honest all personal comics projects have taken a backseat to looking for work at the moment, but it will go up before I go to Stockholm at the end of August, as will the travel journal I drew during my recent trip to Paris! And then work on Master of Survival - Part 2 will begin. Stay tuned!

P.S. As a reminder - I am still offering commissions until August 1. After that, there are no plans to open commissions, so this is your chance! I won't draw HIMYM fanart for just anyone, you know.

[ Placebo -  Bionic (live) ]

[UPDATED] Commission Slot Openings!

I currently have 3 commission slots open on a first-come, first-serve basis! EDIT: Commissions close August 1!

Prices:

• A5 / 5.8"x8.5" black and white (max. one character): 20€/$26 USD + shipping
• A4 / 8.3"x11.7" black and white (max. two characters): 40€/$52 USD + shipping

Everything is done on German 250g Zeichenkarton (aka the thick stuff).

You can make any requests you want (within reason) by shooting me an e-mail at clairykin at gmail youknowtherest. Requests can also include fandom characters (comprehensive, non-exclusive list here). Or even my own characters Noémie, Anaé, Sasha and Félix.

If you need inspiration, you can also check out my Behance portfolio or my Tumblr art tag (or this very blog!).

Let's art.

Small talk

I'm back from Paris! It was epic, we got to meet a bunch of people on Saturday, I sold many comics and sketches, Sarah busked all over town, and I got to shake hands with the Prime Minister on Friday and attend Mark Gatiss' Masterclass at Comic-Con on Sunday. I'm pretty much on the verge of passing out now. Thanks to everyone who ordered a postcard!

[ Alain Souchon - Les regrets ]