Surprise (BETON #7)

"That's pretty cute actually, he just wanted to give you a present, didn't he?" "I don't give a crap, it was disgusting!!"

Issue #7 of the Franco-German comics zine BETON is out! This is the entry I contributed following the theme of "Fressen/Bouffer" (which is a particularly complex set of words to translate into English; in this case it pertains to when animals eat).

***

In other news, I am off to Stockholm this weekend! It has been too long.

Friday Sketchpost: salt + sass #5

Last week saw the first anniversary edition of Salt + Sass, connecting and celebrating women working in Berlin's music industry, this time through an excellent conversation with Sasha Perera and Jen Ferrer of Friends of Friends. Here is to many, many more editions of Salt + Sass.

Augmented Reality

I have not played Pokemon GO yet, but the excitement has been omnipresent contagious.

***

It's mid-July once again, and that means there is a new issue of BETON coming out this Friday! Come on down to Neukölln's Raum B and have a drink with us to celebrate and pick up your copy, featuring a brand-new two page story of mine (and the short story debut of a character I have drawn many, many times over the past several years)!

It also means I am returning to my dearly beloved Stockholm two weeks from now for a weeklong visit! To offset the cost of traveling (as well as those of traveling to Thought Bubble in November), I have reopened the Traveling Tip Jar page, accepting donations either in exchange for personal art or simply via PayPal or Patreon.

[ CHVRCHES - Bury It (feat. Hayley Williams) ]

Comic-Con

3G issues notwithstanding, I had a fun time at Comic-Con Germany! I am now back in Berlin for a couple weeks before taking off to Stockholm for a week.

Speechless

***

Will you be at Comic-Con Germany in Stuttgart this weekend? I will! In the Comic Zone, table 127, to be precise. I have never been to Stuttgart and am looking forward to visiting. Please do come say hi!

Le foot

Another even-numbered year, another international championship! Or as I like to call it, another opportunity to work out whether to call it "football", "soccer", "socc-ball" or just "le foot" when discussing it in English.

***

My Patreon campaign is now a monthly campaign! The rewards have remained the same, but the pledge levels have changed: anyone pledging $3 per month or more has access to personal updates and works in progress, while $15 a month gives you a monthly postcard, $25 unlocks access to my monthly digital sketchbook, and $40 a month get you all three!

If you like my comics and would like to help me keep making more of them, pledging even $1 a month is a great way to make that happen. You can find more information on the campaign right here.

[ Tegan and Sara - Faint of Heart ]

Procrastinating

In the defense of Berlin-based procrastinators, lately the weather has felt like the gross soul-draining version of a sauna, so.

***

Two pieces of big news from Clairikine HQ!

First off - I illustrated a guide to post-clubbing activities for Electronic Beats, which will be of interest for anyone in severe need of readjusting to the world after a night in the club!

Also, changes are afoot over at my Patreon campaign! Next month I will be switching over to a monthly donation model instead of the per-comic model I've had in place for the past two years. Folks will be able to pledge at $1 or more per month, with rewards beginning at $3 per month* - these include, as before, access to personal updates, works-in-progress, plus monthly postcards and a monthly digital copy of my sketchbook at the highest tiers, with a couple other reward ideas in the works for the coming months.

If you like what I do, and you would like to see more of it, please consider making a small donation when the change is live (TBA)! It would mean the world to me, and the more donations I receive through Patreon, the more I can focus on writing and drawing my own autobio and fictional comics.

If you would prefer to support me through a one-time purchase of customized art or original comic pages, or even just a one-time donation, I am also planning a fundraiser to help pay for travel costs to Stockholm this summer and Leeds (Thought Bubble) this winter. Watch this space! You can also let me know in the comments below if and what you would be interested in obtaining during this fundraiser.

* I would have it lower, but I live in the Euro Zone and must account for the current not-awesome exchange rate with the dollar.

Summer Wardrobe

Summer! Along with winter, one of basically two seasons in Berlin. The other seasons get about three weeks, tops.

[ Tegan and Sara - Stop Desire (live) ]

Surrealism

In case you missed it on Twitter. (Also, not the first time television and the current French PM have crossed paths on this blog!).

[ Arctic Monkeys - The Jeweller's Hands ]

Friday Sketchpost: #rpTEN Sketchnotes

Last week I had the great joy of attending this year's edition of re:publica, a Berlin-based conference on tech and culture. As every year, it was both informative and entertaining, and I sketched some of the talks I attended, in addition to doing a sketch note recap of every day.

If you're near Dublin, the next re:publica will take place there in October as part of a partnership with the Digital Biscuit festival! Otherwise, I recommend keeping your eyes figuratively peeled for Early Bird tickets to the next Berlin edition come November.

Epic Saturday

 

[ Tegan and Sara - U-Turn ]

TV Habits

Writer brain never rests, even and especially not when it's watching TV.

It's warm and sunny in Berlin! Happy weekend, everybody.

[ Tegan and Sara - I Was A Fool (Monsieur Adi remix) ]

Some Things I Have Learned While Tabling

Conventions! Extremely rewarding and completely exhausting.

[ Tegan and Sara - When You Were Mine (cover) (live) (RIP Prince) ]

Est-ce que... (BETON #6)

"Why didn't I leave ... Why did I give everything ..."

"Can I... forgive?"

***

This is my contribution to issue #6 of BETON, on the topic of Voyage/Reise! Check out these fine folks' website to order yourself a copy and freshen up on both your French and your German.

Also, last weekend was Comic Invasion Berlin and it was awesome! Thank you to everyone who came by, bought comics, chatted about TV shows, brought me coffee, offered hugs and generally made it what it was - a great weekend full of cool comics and the cool people who make them and read them. Until next time! I am sleeping forever now.

[ Kiasmos - Drawn ]

Frühling

It's finally here! I will be tabling at Comic Invasion Berlin this weekend -- go through the left entrance, turn left and walk a few feet, and you will find my table (right next to Ash Pure's, as tradition has it)! I will have zines - including Master of Survival #3 and Clairikine - Round 2 - plus "Glücklich in Berlin" stickers, postcards and original comic pages!

Also, there is a special secret menu this year!

• Bring me a copy of BETON #3, #5 or #6 to sign, and I will rap something for you! (There will be a BETON table outside - even if it rains).
• Guess who my favorite character is in House of Cards, and you will get a free postcard! (Only valid if you guess at the convention).
• I will draw something in your sketchbook for a donation!

See you there!!!

[ Tegan and Sara - Boyfriend ]

Friday Sketchpost: Creative Mornings Berlin with Susanne Koelbl, 8.4.16

This morning I attended a most excellent talk given by Spiegel foreign correspondent Susanne Koelbl at this month's Creative Mornings Berlin on the topic of "Risk".

Have a great weekend!

Milchkaffee

***

It's been a busy week! I've been in the Tagesspiegel! And on FluxFM with Marc Seestaedt to talk about Comic Invasion Berlin! And in Comica London's write-up of the Berlin comics scene that is Comic Invasion's raison d'être!

Speaking of Comic Invasion Berlin, the Satellite program is in full swing with comics events nearly every night all over the city, and the main festival is two weekends away. I will be selling goods there! Come say hi!

[ Eliot Sumner - After Dark (live) ]

Lent

I'm pleased to report I spent three out of four Easter weekend days in my pajamas this year.

***

Now that Daylight Saving Time has arrived in Germany, it's time for Comic Invasion Berlin's Satellite weeks leading up to April 16-17's main event! The Satellite kickoff + exhibit opening is this Friday at Colonia Nova in Neukölln and I will be there for a beer or two - come on down and say hi if you are so inclined!

[ The Killers - Jenny Was A Friend of Mine (live) ]

Sifting

[ AnnenMayKantereit - Oft gefragt ]

Q+A Comics! (Part 3)

OMG, get a load of that mullet. I wore one off and on for like three years. (It looked pretty good in person!)

***

Heads up: I talk about autobio comics, how I got into comics and how I currently make a living in this week's episode of the Comic Invasion Berlin podcast (in German)! Exciting times!

Friday Sketchpost: Salt + Sass #4

Following up on last week's post, here are my sketch notes from this week's edition of Salt + Sass! The conversation between Melissa Taylor and Avalon Emerson was most excellent and wonderfully moderated by Electronic Beats' Elissa Stolman. Looking forward to the next edition!

Transmission Failure

***

I illustrated a post about 15 German words you need to know on the Travels of Adam blog! Check it out, I drew the saddest piece of bacon you'll ever see in your lifetime.

[ Robyn - Dancing On My Own ]

Friday Sketchpost: Salt + Sass #3

The next edition of Salt + Sass is this Tuesday! In anticipation of this fine event connecting and celebrating women in the music industry, here are my sketches from December's instalment at Soundcloud HQ in Berlin. Happy weekend!

Coffee Wisdom

[ Fort Minor (feat, Styles of Beyond) - Right Now ]

Q+A Comics! (Part 2)

Speaking of ComicInvasionBerlin (full disclosure: I'm on the team this year), the yearly CIB comic contest is now OPEN to artists living in Berlin or Brandenburg, with March 11 as the submission deadline. Details and application guidelines here!

[ I Blame Coco - The Constant ]

Q & A Comics! (Part 1)

I opened the floor to Twitter a couple weeks ago for some questions to answer in comic form so I can keep the updates coming while holding down a handful of big deadlines this month. This is part 1 of 2! Stay tuned next week for... part 2!

[ Halfloves - It's Easy To Love ]

Busy Bee Hourlies

Like every year, February 1 was Hourly Comic Day, a day where folks draw comics for every hour they're awake (or a slight variation thereof, really) to show how their day is going. My day turned out to be too busy to draw (and would have contained eight variations on me sitting at a desk), so I didn't participate, but when other folks' comics were rolling in I found myself wishing I had. Fortunately, I found out Ephi was also planning to do hers last Saturday, so I tagged along! (She came up with the name, too.)

As you can see, most of my day was spent at the indie comics event Comics & The Beast in a Neukölln bar, which was very fun. Thanks to everyone who came and said hi and bought my stuff!

[ Northern State feat. Kaki King - Fall Apart ]

Saturdays

Or, y'know, weekends in general - but I've made a resolution to keep at least one day off a week. Ha.

***

Speaking of weekends, I will be tabling at Comics & The Beast in Neukölln this Saturday! I will have stickers and the brand-new bonus Master of Survival issue. You know the drill - come say hi!

[ Kaki King - Anthem For The Earnest ]

Pirate Song

"Awaaaayyy, boarders!!!"
"Down with motivation!" "No quarter!" "Her happiness is ours!!"

"Lex, honey? I'm gonna make dinner, what do you wanna eat?" "Uh... I really don't care, actually..."
"... You don't look so good..." "No, no, I'm fine... Everything's fine, I'm just going to finish this and I'll be right there."
"You sure?" "YES Sondra, don't worry!" "I'm not w-" "LEAVE ME ALONE!" "..."

"Come back to me... Come back to me... In the shadows and in the darkness... I am here... I am yours... So come back ... Come back to me..."

"Hey, Sondra, I'm..." "..." "So I ended up putting some pizza in the oven..." "I thought we could watch an episode of 'Card House', if you wanted."
"... Hey, thanks... Thanks for everything."

This was my entry for the pirate-themed issue 5 of the Franco-German comic zine BETON, which came out this month! You can check out the project online here and locate stores that carry it here.

Also, if you are in Paris on February 8, you can meet the team at the local Goethe-Institut! Originals (including mine from issue #3) will also be on display there.

This has been my regularly scheduled Franco-German moment. As you were.

[ Linkin Park - Papercut ]

Swearing In English

My preferred language in which to swear is actually French, but sometimes it fails me.

***

BERLIN! There's a show opening at Raum B this Friday featuring originals for the new issue of BETON (including a brand-new 4-page story by yours truly)! Doors open this at 7PM and there will be live music and drinks and comics! See you there!

[ Eliot Sumner - Information ]

Store Music

Was James ever confronted with department stores playing Christmas carols after New Year's? It's debatable.

I am back in Berlin! Here is a late update as I was traveling home from California earlier this week. I survived! Also, I may never sleep past 4:30 AM again!

What was 2015 like?

Happy New Year! One of my goals this year is to write more fictional comics, and I figured I would start the year off with these peeps. They have been hanging around in my sketchbooks for many years now. Onwards.

***

Also: Master of Survival #3 (the final issue) is now available to buy online! Shipping from Berlin begins January 15. I will also be selling them at this year's conventions, which will be announced here as they are confirmed.