Fact vs. Fiction

Good news! There are actually many things one can do about the world being a bad place sometimes, even if feelings of helplessness won't tell you that.

Very specifically, if you live in Berlin, Finding Berlin has a good list (in English!) of ways to help refugees currently seeking asylum in our city. It may feel daunting, or it may not seem like much, but a little goes a very long way.

I myself am currently in France, where it is a pleasant not-above-27 degrees, and will catch you all on the flipside (i.e. next week).

[ Jars of Clay - Weighed Down ]

Home vs. Office

It's too hot! Hot dang! Call the police and the etc.

I'm going to go continue melting in France for a bit later this week. Stay cool!

[ Red Hot Chili Peppers - Hard To Concentrate ]

Sustenance

***

This month my $5+ patrons are getting their monthly postcard sent to them from Lyon! If you would also like to get a postcard from Lyon, or if you would like to commission some art, you can donate to the Traveling Tip Jar. (I've been doodling Tom Hardy lately, for instance, if that is your thing.)

[ Anthony Joseph - Shine ]

A Prayer

[ Death Cab For Cutie - You've Haunted Me All My Life ]

Narcolepsie

English translation below.

I had the pleasure this year of meeting the folks behind the Franco-German comic zine BETON during their issue #2 launch (part of the Comic Invasion Berlin 2015 satellite events). As a result, I also had the pleasure of contributing this two-page story to their new issue, which came out this month!

BETON comes out about three times a year; each issue has its own word as a theme, and the comics are printed in both French and German. For the good of my English-speaking public, I have included a translation of my entry below the cut.

This comic is reproduced here with kind permission; you can get your hands on the whole 56-page deal for 7€ + shipping by e-mailing betonfanzine at gmail. You can also check out their Facebook page and follow them on Tumblr!

If you like this comic and would like to see more like it, you can also support me on Patreon!

The cycle

You can tell I penciled this last winter, because it's too muggy these days to wear long sleeves in public transit.

***

Speaking of bridges, I was interviewed recently by Odile for Die Berliner Portraits and it partly involved that bridge on the bottom left! The transcript is exclusively in German, I'm afraid, but you get to see a great photo of me in front of the Oberbaumbrücke, which is one of my favorite locations in Berlin.

Also, it's Bastille day, so: happy 14th of July. I am spending it at a) the hair salon b) band practice c) a bar d) all of the above.

[ Tegan and Sara - Don't Find Another Love ]

Friday Sketchpost: Berlin Pride + Fanart!

Every month for the past few months now I've been putting together pages from my sketchbooks in a PDF and posting it on Patreon. This forces me to draw more in my sketchbook, which has been priceless in terms of improving anatomy and inking skills (especially with the Pentel pocket brush pen, which I have grown more attached to the further I get used to it).

I've fallen off the wagon in terms of posting occasional scanned pages on this blog, though, so here are some sketches of people I did during Berlin's Pride week last month, as well as fanart of recent entertainment interests Breaking Bad (currently on season 4) and Spider-Gwen (which kicks so much heinie)!

You can also see these and many more in my latest digital sketchbook, which is available for pledges of $8 or more per week on Patreon!

[ Eiffel - Le même train ] 

Too Hot

[ Placebo - 36 Degrees (live)]

Real People

There are two kinds of people...

[ The Offspring - What Happened To You? ]

Ceiling Head

The transition to mainly working from home this month was pretty brutal! I have since switched to coworking away from home as much as possible.

***

Two pieces of info! One: my bilingual (French/German) comics workshop has been moved to Saturday, July 4 at Raum B and there are still spots available!

Two: if you like what I do and you want to help me pay my Netflix coworking bills every month, I have a Patreon campaign for the comics on this blog! All the details are right here.

[ Everclear - Electra Made Me Blind ]

Desert

I've had deserts on the brain lately: deserts where chem teachers cook meth, deserts that get driven through by postapocalyptic death rigs, deserts irrigated by humans who now face severe drought. So I drew this and played around with colors again.

Oh, by the way - the new Mad Max? I finally went to see it, and it melted my face off. In a good way.

[ Thrice - The Artist In The Ambulance ]

Signs of Summer

[ The Weepies - Nobody Knows Me At All ]

Grief, Part 2

Expected more of the sunshine daydream pastel colors from last week? Heh.

If you're in Berlin this weekend, be sure to stop by the Expat Markt off Mehringdamm this Sunday! I will be tabling there from 12PM to 6PM and selling comics, postcards and doing small commissions. Come by! Bring your hangovers.

[ Linkin Park - My December]

Accent

It wasn't a cute French one, that's for sure - since I don't have one?

***

I was on German radio this Sunday! Hear me talk about autobio comics, faith, my upcoming Franco-German comics workshop at Raum B, what brought me to Berlin and what made me stay, beginning at 44:44, right here (uff Deutsch). 

[ Willie Nelson - He Was A Friend of Mine ]

Lying In Wait

I have since learned not to do this.

***

Hey! I'm doing a Franco-German comics workshop on June 18 at Raum B in Neukölln! Spots are limited, details here (in French and German, like the workshop).

[ FAUVE - Tallulah ]

It's The Thought That Counts

My friend Remus is what you might call a joke cookie (Scherzkeks), if you were German. Ask him about his puns (or, y'know, don't?).

P.S. London! You never cease to fascinate! Also you are exhausting! But only because you never cease to fascinate! So it's a good thing!

[ Clones of Clones - Out Loud ]

How To Tell Time While Tabling

Tabling at cons is extremely rewarding and one of my favorite parts of this gig - but it can be rough on your system! Monitoring your needs for nourishment is key.

I'm off to London this weekend! Yeehaw!

[ Thrice - Come All You Weary ]

The thought process

You know, office shootings, plane crashes, that sort of thing.

[ Jars of Clay - Flood ]

Meanwhile in Brandenburg

I’ve met a freakishly high number of people in and around Berlin who know that the Central Valley is a thing.

***

Berlin! Comic Invasion was insane. So many people came out to the show - in fact the floor was non-stop full until nearly 7 on Sunday - and you all bought so much, it was amazing! Thanks to everyone who came by, grabbed some minicomics, bought sketches and prints, gave me cool things, watched me do my beer o'clock dance and simply said hi! Looking forward to #5 next year.

[ Death Cab for Cutie - Good Help (Is So Hard To Find) ]

> Patreon! <

Asset

And this concludes this year's batch of (belated) Christmas comics. I watched so much TV over the holidays, as one does. Haven't seen more than a couple episodes of The Flash yet, though - I intend to binge-watch it on Netflix. (Before then, of course, I will have binged on Daredevil.)

Also, hey! Comic Invasion Berlin is this weekend, and I be tabling there both days with minicomics and postcards on hand. AND I am planning a treasure hunt (with a reward!), which I will tweet about on Saturday. Come say hi! (Please. Please come say hi.)

[ Radical Face - The Mute ]

> Patreon! <

Actual Bird

That issue of Rolling Stone was from 1991. It had Achtung Baby-era U2 on the cover and a review of Nevermind that suggested Nirvana might be going places. So it was basically amazing.

[ Fauve - Lettre à Zoé ]

***

Berlin!! Comic Invasion Berlin is two weekends away, and I will be tabling there both days next to friend and fellow Panel Upper Ash Pure (of The Lion & The Unicorn fame). Read below the cut to see where you can find me!

Production of Master of Survival: The Third Degree has been delayed a bit due to my having written a 7-page epilogue to wrap the story up; that comic still needs to be inked and edited, which will not happen in time for Comic Invasion, as I'm prioritizing putting out a comic I'm satisfied with over rushing the job (a luxury I can afford on a personal project).

BUT. I will have many other printed minicomics available, as well as postcards and a couple CIB-exclusive deals. Keep a lookout on Twitter next week for those. And hey - come say hi!

Abendmahl

* Abendmahl = communion, or Lord's Supper, or Last Supper.

We interrupt our Christmas comics to bring you this year's Easter-related comic. (There have been others.)

Easter is a super-long weekend in Germany, and as tradition has it, I will be spending it at my drawing table inking comics, emerging only for the occasional service. I wish you all excellent partying times and some contemplative final days of Lent, whichever one of those floats your boat. Hey, you could even do both.

[ U2 - Acrobat ]

> Patreon! <

Mystery Coffee

Chew is a comic about a cop who gets information about things by eating them. It takes place in a near future where chicken is outlawed. It is amazing. (Also, I'm currently only on volume four, so - shhh.)

[ Mark Ronson feat. Bruno Mars - Uptown Funk (Live) ]

> Patreon <