Sturm und Drang

"Yeah, I think 'Sturm und Drang' is a pretty dodgy name though..."

"You mean Goethe's literary movement?"

"... I think I'm going to go hide. If it's not too late?"

Sturm und Drang is a restaurant in Frankfurt. This was not made apparent during the composing of this comic.

Frankfurt!

This past June I had the opportunity to delve once again into territory far from my Central European home and take a look at ... Frankfurt. It was an awesome weekend (though I barely got any real sleep) and I was able to connect with peeps and take in the sights. I'd do it again (for longer) if I could. So this is what the next few comics will be about!

The first night I got there was the European Cup semifinal against Italy, as well as some kind of Supreme Court decision on Obamacare, so we all watched the game and then got to see the news about America during halftime. (At first I misunderstood and thought the bill had been struck down. Which would have sucked.)

See you Friday!

***
Also: I am currently selling commissioned drawings and minicomics! More details on this post. Shipping to Berlin comes free with commissions!

[ Smashing Pumpkins - Today ]

hypochondriac ii

It used to be a thing of mine
to try to
return
to a state
of perfect
health
as much as possible


I know
circumstances
have changed
since then


I just want to never have to worry

Berlin, 30.9.2012

Commissions!

Hey guys! The end of the year draws close, and on my end that represents a certain need for money. So I'm going to announce a first of mine: commissions - or as I like to call it, The Help Claire Pay For Things Drive.

I'm currently offering three things: small sketches,  black and white illustrations and minicomics. Handily, if you place an order now, you will be sure to get it in time for Christmas!

For 10€ (plus shipping), you can get a custom sketch of anything you want: fandoms, my own characters, a crazy scene from the subway, etc.
The sketch is done in black PITT pen or brushpen on an A5 sheet of sketchbook paper, and it comes with a little thank-you note. Good if you like Rails programming jokes and Doctor Who. (I can do both.)*

For 25€ (plus shipping), you get a black-and-white pen-and-ink A4 drawing of anything that tickles your fancy, while remaining within the realm of the doable: i.e., no distorted-perspective shots of Jeremy Renner scaling Half-Dome with a scuba tank.
The drawing is penciled on an A4 sheet of Bristol board and inked with PITT artist pens, and also comes with a note. Good if you like Millennium fanart.

For both types of commissions, shoot me an e-mail at clairykin-at-gmail-dot-com and we'll go from there.

Also, my minicomics are still for sale here. This time it's 3€ + shipping for one mini. I have about 50 in stock currently; they make great stocking stuffers for trilingual Berlin/comic lovers. If their stockings are A5-sized and rectangular, that is.

Plus! For any art commissioned by Berlin-dwellers, there is a sweet deal on shipping, as there will be no shipping. I will deliver it to you in person, with my delicate hands.  Because Berlin. (Does not apply to minicomics).

So I hope to be able to do business with some of y'all in the coming weeks and draw some wacky fanart! Please take a moment to consider a black-and-white rendition of Ten, Loki and Katniss drinking lattes under the Fernsehturm. I thank you. And so does my snazzy drawing table.

*I once drew Sherlock and John bickering about Ruby programming. I have no fear.

***

That happens.

I wrote this months ago, but I could easily be telling this to the cold I currently have. Ha ha.

[ Bonus sonore ]

Weekend Workpost: Furry Critters

Here's the line art for some critters I drew for work last week.

I have two things to say about this fox. One thing is that he looks like a friend of mine. The other thing is that when I was little, I discovered Calvin and Hobbes and proceeded to draw a comic strip for three years about a fox named Foxy. (My family can testify that it made zero sense.) So it was like a return to roots drawing this fox.

[ Green Day - Kill The DJ ]

Random Friday Bonus Sketch - FDM2012

A little sketch I did during the aforementioned concert. Happy Friday!

The Backstage Experience

I took part in the Fête de la Musique this year as an organiser, which to me is a great honor. In fact I managed to feel honored until about 2 in the morning when my feet gave their notice.

June 18, 2012.

I'd like those two hours of my life back, please.

[ Bonus sonore ]

First steps in language animation.

"In my suitcase I have a a bike...a pen...a pencil case...and...and...his mom."

***

Guys, let me introduce you to a small part of my Franco-German world*. "Animation linguistique" ("language animation") is something that was conceptualized in the early nineties by a research project of the University of Bielefeld and the Franco-German Youth Office (OFAJ/DFJW), which more or less is to French/German majors what Mountain View is to programmers (I'm guessing). The focus was on how some kids would attend binational youth events and come back hankering to learn French or German, whereas others would return nonplussed after clamming up all week. A set of guidelines for loosening things up was put together, and "language animation" - group games involving verbal or nonverbal communication -  was included as one of the tools used by camp organisers. It's therefore one of those terms that are mainly understood by initiated members of a given professional environment. (I'd use a fancy word for that but it's nearly dinnertime as I write this.)

Language animation is something I do on occasion as part of my current job, and is an opportunity to interact with the young'uns of local Berlin schools and impart the awesomeness of French. Which they then use to make references to each other's moms.

* Only one of the many idiosyncratic people groups which I am proud to call my own.

[ More German young'uns ]

Second only to David Tennant.

[ Bonus sonore ]

[ Bonus sonore ]

3/6/2012

In June, like a slim amount of the French votership, I voted in the so-called legislative (parliamentary) elections that followed on the heels of the presidential ones. I ended up being at the French embassy for what feels like every other week for two months. The party I voted for didn't make the second round,  and the new president ended up getting his majority in parliament. Watch your butt, capitalism.*

*This is a joke, I think Hollande has as much communist blood in him as a package of Oreos.

[ Auditory bonus ]

June 1, 2012

Je suis allée sur un coup de tête visiter mon ancien taf ce matin, en partie parce que j'avais ouï dire que mon ancien chef s'en allait. Je suis même montée dans les bureaux et me suis un peu baladée, et je trouvais que c'était presque comme si je n'étais jamais partie -- le "presque" venant bien sûr du fait que les gens étaient surpris de me voir, et que j'ai fait exprès de ne pas rester plus de quelques minutes. // J'ai la sensation que le plancher des choses se barre sous mes pieds. // Dans le métro j'apprends que des ateliers au Tacheles ont été évacués hier. Les bonnes choses n'ont-elles donc plus d'importance? // Après le boulot, je suis revenue faire un tour à une soirée dans la cour de mon ancien taf. Ca a apporté une sorte de contraste à ce que je ressentais: entourée d'amis vs. toute seule. C'est rare, une boíte qui te donne le sentiment d'être en famille. // "C'est diiingue!! Hug au-dessus du bar!" Je suis allée à la fête d'anniversaire de The Cheese Mountain Tragedy, où j'ai rencontré Josh Bauman. Il était enthousiaste quand je me suis présentée. :)

***

By the by, my fellow countryman (sort of) Josh Bauman does a daily diary strip called Caffeinated Toothpaste, and he has a Cintiq. Both are awesome to behold.


Au fait, mon (en quelque sorte) compatriote Josh Bauman dessine une BD autobio qui s'appelle Caffeinated Toothpaste, tous les jours, et il possède une Cintiq. Les deux sont des trucs de oufs.

[ Death Cab For Cutie - Doors Unlocked and Open ]

I came back to die with my city

I'm baaack! Hoo-boy, I walked up and down the northern suburbs of Stockholm, discovered Phad Thai, met with peeps, took a zillion iPhone pictures and did a whole lotta writing. Stockholm (like Sweden in general) is one of my favorite places in the world, it's a shame the winter there is psychotic and I go more crazy the earlier the sun sets.

Anyway, here are a few things I dropped into my sketchbook while I was there:

One of the main things I was looking forward to was Stockholm Pride. I didn't actually see much of the festival or the parade itself (walking at Berlin's CSD was enough), but I did get graciously invited to a garden party up the hill from Mariatorget, where I got to meet cool people, drink Spanish beer and wonder if that was, in fact, a pretty well-known person standing over there with a glass of punch. It was an awesome party (or "best gay bar in the world", as someone put it.)

This picture translates the way I felt about interacting in environments where mostly Swedish was spoken. (Not to brag, but I haven't felt like this in years.) Translates roughly as "Not understanding exactly what's going on... That is my problem."

As was required by my stay, I went to the movies a few times -- most notably to see The Dark Knight Rises. Needless to say that Bane killed it. Oh, and Blake? Yes. Shortest three hours of my life. BOOM! alltså.

(c) S.K. Webster / Clairikine

And since I am currently reading Stieg Larsson's Millennium trilogy (in Swedish), I also got my picture taken in iconic spots from the book. The first floor here is where the Millennium offices are supposed to be. The other iconic spot was the yellow pathway where a character gets mugged. Not going to put that out there right now.

In addition to this, I began watching Doctor Who*, amassed a small treasure trove of used CDs** and DVDs to further cement the fact that I need to buy more shelves,  and I squee'd like a teenager when the Spice Girls appeared during the Olympics' Closing Ceremony.*** And then I had to explain to my 17-year-old sister why this was a cultural milestone, and I proceeded to buy a used copy of Spice and play "Wannabe" for her in the car. She still didn't get it.

Updates continue Tuesday! Ha det så bra.

* I started at Ten. Because everyone only talks about Ten anyway. Right?
** Placebo's self-titled debut, baby!!!
*** I also squee'd at Muse. Because, you know. Muse.

Edit: Yes, a piece of Bane's mask is missing. It's hot down in Hell, so this is a lighter version.

[  MOVITS! - Fel Del Av Gården ]

Newsletters

(Also it's Julia Robbs' birthday! Commission her. She rocks.)
See you next week!

Le matou revient

"Wander-Kater Felix" ("Felix the migratory tomcat") made German headlines recently by breaking out of an animal shelter he'd been transferred to in Lower Saxony and hiking all the way back to Berlin, where he was originally from.
"Wander-Kater Felix" ("Felix le matou migratoire") est récemment devenu célèbre en Allemagne lorsqu'il s'est évadé d'un refuge en Basse-Saxe pour être retrouvé des mois plus tard à Berlin, d'où on l'avait transféré.

[ Bonus sonore inversé ] 

Over spring of this year I started listening to Finch's Say Hello To Sunshine on a regular basis, which probably tells you something about what my mindset was like. One of the tracks is called "A Man Alone", and I associated the theme of it in my head with the general ambience of Max Andrew Dubinsky's short stories (collected in We Can't Go Home Again), which I also bought and read during this period.
I am a big fan of both Max and his wife's various endeavours, and if you want to have a look at something very big, Max' next project should go live at this address in a couple of weeks.

Courant printemps de cette année, je me suis mise à écouter l'album Say Hello To Sunshine de Finch en boucle, ce qui vous en dira certainement un peu plus sur mon état mental de l'époque. Un des morceaux s'intitule "A Man Alone", et dans ma tête j'en ai associé le thème avec l'ambiance générale des nouvelles de Max Andrew Dubinsky (réunies dans un petit volume intitulé "We Can't Go Home Again"), que je m'étais également procurées pendant cette période.
Je suis une fan conséquente des différents projets de Max et son épouse, et si vous voulez jeter un coup d'oeil à quelque chose d'énorme, le prochain projet de Max sera en ligne à cette adresse d'ici deux semaines à peu près.

[ Finch - A Man Alone ]

Rest times

As my impeccable timing would have it, posts resumed just in time for me to go on vacation, ha ha. Tomorrow I am taking off for my yearly Avkoppling in Sweden (att koppla av = to relax), so here is a picture of my young alter ago Anaé, doing something I have long been yearning to do. Brief cartoons will be here to keep you company while I ride the T-bana, drink chai lattes and pet my cat. See you in three weeks for more diary comics!


Comme je possède un impeccable sens du timing, j'ai repris les posts juste à temps pour partir en vacances, ha ha. Demain je pars effectuer mon "avkopplage" annuel (du suédois att koppla av = se détendre) en Suède, donc voici à juste titre un dessin de mon jeune alter ego Anaé qui comate comme j'ai ardemment désiré le faire. En mon absence, des BD brèves sauront vous tenir compagnie pendant que moi je prendrai le t-bana, boirai des chai latte et ferai des câlins à mon chat. A dans trois semaines pour plus de journal en BD!

[ Coldplay - Charlie Brown ]

Celibacy

Things that I may not have
include:


- looking into someone's eyes and laughing
- flirty smiles
- cuddling
- holding hands




I am too weak to deny myself these things
so I sit and wait in ambush




and wait
and wait




and wait some more.

Frankfurt/Main - Berlin, July 2012.

Bonn, May 20, 2012

"Ils ont des quartiers alternatifs ici aussi! Et des freecards! Et des tags! Et Starbucks!"

Clairikine découvre la vie en province.

Friday Bonus Sketch: re:publica 12

This spring I got a free pass to  the re:publica 12 conference, in exchange for tabling with guys who designed a geocaching app for the iPad. Here are some cartoons I drew while I was there.


Au printemps j'ai pu squatter gratos la conférence re:publica 12 à Berlin, en échange d'une tenue de stand avec des gars qui ont conçu un app de geocaching pour l'iPad. J'y ai fait ces quelques dessins.

[ Linkin Park - In My Remains ]

What happened in the first days of May?

Vendredi 4 mai: appris sur Twitter qu'Adam Yauch est décédé. Uilisé deux morceaux pour crier mon hommage. ... Et puis le 8 mai j'ai appris que Maurice Sendak est mort aussi. Pourquoi il y a toujours des gens qui meurent?...

Regardé les résultats des élections le dimanche [6] à Friedrichshain. Les flics berlinois sont venus nous disperser à 20h50. "Police de Berlin, vous êtes trop bruyants..." "Sérieux?"

Le mercredi suivant, je suis rentrée d'une discussion étendue avec Adam au sujet des droits LGBT aux Etats-Unis pour apprendre qu'Obama venait de déclarer son soutien au mariage homo.

***

 I'm back.

So here's the shindig: regular weekly postage continues, blessed by the power of queuing things on Blogger. I'm pleased to announce that one of the reasons I needed to take this time off was that I accepted a freelance illustration assignment back in June. Yay! I also have been doing illustrations for the part of my job that has me working six hours a week at a center for technical and scientific training (it's complicated), so I've been teaching myself things like looking for .ABR brushes on the internet and (gasp) coloring. All in all, these were productive months as far as basic skill sets were concerned. Of course I still got some diary comics down while I was away, so you'll be seeing some of those for the next  few weeks. Good to be back! Be sure to not trip on the way out.

Je suis de retour.

Voilà donc comment ça va se passer: les posts hebdos réguliers continueront, par le pouvoir de la programmation de notes sur Blogger. Je suis heureuse d'annoncer que l'une des raisons pour lesquelles j'ai dû faire cette pause, c'était du boulot d'illustration en freelance. J'ai aussi fait de l'illustration pour mon employeur (un centre de formation scientifique et technique - c'est un peu compliqué) à raison de six heures par semaine, et cela fut également bénéfique. J'ai appris par exemple à rechercher des brosses .ABR sur le net et à colorer (si si!!). Dans l'ensemble, ce furent des mois productifs. Bien sûr j'ai aussi pondu quelques pages de journal BD entretemps, donc c'est cela que vous verrez pendant quelque temps. C'est chouette d'être de retour! Faites gaffe à la marche en sortant.

N.B. Comme la traduction d'un post en français prend beaucoup de temps, et que je ne suis même pas certaine que les traductions soient lues pour autant, j'annonce que les posts cesseront d'être traduits d'ici un mois -- sauf si quelqu'un vient me dire d'ici là qu'il faudrait que je continue. Merci de votre understanding!

[ Bonus sonore ]

Blogpaus

Guys, in the interest of throwing my weight around behind other things I am putting this blog on hiatus, and will be returning with regular updates around mid-July. Cartooning will still be happening in the secret places! Just believe.
Afin de servir d'autres causes, je ne mettrai pas ce blog à jour jusqu'à mi-juillet, par là. Les BD continuent, mais de manière invisible. Il suffit d'y croire.

[ Maroon 5 - Come Away To The Water ]

Règles imminentes: les signes qui ne trompent pas:
Je déteste les gens. / "La monnaie ne peut être rendue que sous forme de timbres." Ma vie est un échec. / Mon cerveau aborde compulsivement le sujet.

Liebeserklärung

Recently I stood on a bridge and declared my feelings. But they weren't for a human being.
Récemment je me suis tenue sur un pont et j'ai fait une déclaration d'amour. Mais elle ne s'adressait pas à un être humain. 

[ Idlewild - Actually It's Darkness ]

It's my sister's birthday today.

Happy birthday dude! <3


EDIT: This is what we are referencing.

[ Bonus sonore ]

Fortunately, I now have official vacation time, which I am going to spend in Stockholm as of tomorrow. Sofo, fika and SL passes, all mine.
Heureusement je suis maintenant en congés et me taille donc à Stockholm demain. A moi les rues de Sofo, le fika et les cartes SL.

[ Bonus sonore: Alkaline Trio - Private Eye ]

13.3.2012

Définition du travail: Ce qu'il faut faire aujourd'hui + Ce qui vient et qu'il faut préparer + Ce que feraient les collègues s'ils n'étaient pas malades = A FOND LA CAISSE // Je m'offre une quesadilla poulet au citron vert chez Dolores à Wittenbergplatz. J'adore venir ici: c'est dingue comme ça me rappelle la Californie. // Puisqu'avant je travaillais chez une start-up, j'ai pris l'habitude de remplacer de temps en temps mon café (= déshydratation) avec du Club-Mate. Il s'avère que le Club-Mate quand j'ai mes règles, c'est ... une expérience. / Danse sur du Newsboys.


I guarantee this is not the last you shall be hearing of my innards.
Je peux garantir que ce ne sera pas la dernière fois que j'évoque ma tuyauterie intérieure.

[ Bonus sonore: Finch - A Man Alone ]

remembering

I remember you telling me how you would stand at crossroads and count cars driving by.


I remember walking all the way to Treptower Park
and sitting
in the park
across from
houses.


I remember talking there; talking was something you always enjoyed and which I was more than willing to give - though hoping for compensation that would never be received.


I remember;
I remember a lot of things.
[...]

Berlin, 3.2012

"The Lord is risen." "True." / - Le Seigneur est ressuscité. - C'est pas faux.

Random Friday Sketchdump: Instrumental Guitars

As a follow-up to this week's comic, here are the sketches I did of the Ernesto Schnack & Joe Czarnecki concert at Salon Remise back in March. They are both very talented musicians, which I highly recommend seeing.
Pour faire suite à la note de cette semaine, voici des dessins faits pendant le concert d'Ernesto Schnack & Joe Czarnecki à Salon Remise en mars dernier. Tous les deux ont beaucoup de talent et je conseille fortement de les voir.

Much like his fellow thick-eyebrowed guitarist Kaki King, Ernesto Schnack is not actually this serious-looking.
A l'instar de sa consoeur guitariste dotée de sourcils épais, Kaki King, Ernesto Schnack n'a pas l'air aussi sérieux en vrai.

Joe Czarnecki grew up on a horse farm. It was difficult for me to draw his head.
Joe Czarnecki a grandi à la ferme, avec des chevaux autour. J'ai eu du mal à dessiner sa tête.

[ Good Friday soundtrack ]

Samstag, 10.3.2012

Déposé des exemplaires de Cardialement Vol. 1 à Modern Graphics dans Kreuzberg aujourd'hui. Je suis restée un peu pour lire des BD et pour feuilleter une des mes mini-BD à moi. ♥ // Puis je suis sortie dans l'air du soir et j'ai contemplé l'effet reposant de se balader sans but. / Passage à des semelles plates: aïe aïe bobo. // "Friendly Chicken", la seule saveur sans saveur du menu. Plus jamais. / Assez de frites pour nourrir une petite armée. / J'ai "dîné" à un restau de poulet frit coréen où je suis allée une fois avec ma joyeuse bande de camarades Sherlockiens. Je pourrais dire que je n'ai pas regretté d'acheter le "Friendly Chicken", mais ce serait mentir. // Suis allée voir le concert d'Ernesto  Schnack & Joe Czarnecki et suis retournée au S-Bahn avec Alex. / "J'adore Berlin! C'est pas qu'on ne trouve pas de concerts comme ça en France, mais on ne trouve pas de concerts comme ça en France."