Once bitten, twice shy

I'm pretty darn excited to finally type these words: My next graphic novel, Snake Night, slithers into bookstores next fall 🐍✨ It’s a creepy cartoony adventure about two friends intent on decoding the secret to transmutation. More soon.

I was a challenged reader as a kid (and still am) so it feels extra meaningful when a teacher uses my books as a part of a classroom reading challenge.

In a civilized world, the guy who made Dexter’s Laboratory, Samurai Jack, and like four Hotel Transylvanias would be able to do one for himself

It’s autumn so it’s time for me to repeat my demand that Over the Garden Wall get a stage adaptation

Gates of Hell 🌸

> Use toilet I don't know how to use that > Open toilet It's already open > Use butt Where do you want to use it on > Toilet I don't see a toilet here > Look toilet You see a porcelain toilet > Use butt on toilet You can't use that here. Suddenly your butt explodes. You should have used the toilet!

Hey, how's your summer going? Good to hear. Me? Not bad. Spending most of my days drifting down the River of the Dead.

I’ve been working on this story that opens with a young boy waking up under a tree that’s been struck by lightning. I’ve drawn it a few different times, trying to find the right, I don’t know, tone? This latest version has a bit of humor to it, which is probably good for a kid’s book about death 🖤

I've been waiting my whole life for someone to ask me

notan studies! The Passion of Joan of Arc Black Sunday The Night of the Hunter

Watercolour study by Maurice Sendak for a set piece for a production of Ravel’s opera, “L’Heure Espagnole,” that opened on 22 July 1987 at the Glyndebourne Festival Opera in England.

Not to be unkind, but I am so impatient about the “what’s the point of making my little zines/comics/crafts/art when the world is on fire” sentiments. I get it, but saving the world is not a responsibility shouldered by your art! That’s what being a neighbor, a friend, and hell, a citizen is for!!!

If an artist inspired you—even forever ago—tell them. We share the cool stuff when it happens, but most of our time is spent being quietly uncool. The one thing we can count on is knowing we’ve inspired others to chase their own cool things. This is a nice reminder ❤️

If only someone TWO RACECAR-DRIVING SISTERS could tell me KEEP WINNING DEADLY RACES IN EXOTIC LOCATIONS how to effectively TO HUNT THE ULTRAWEALTHY VAMPIRE pitch my novel WHO KILLED THEIR FATHER to a publisher THE PROMINENT TRANSYLVANIAN LEFTIST

It's been a really tough summer for me financially, but lucky for you that means I'm VERY EAGER to take on new freelance projects. Illustration, comics, writing stories, jokes and more. I can do it all! philintheblanks.com

Another experiment in my afterlife side project. Every one of these gets me a step closer to turning this little weird idea into a book. How many more steps?! I have no idea!!

They finally made the milk from that hotel

Never meet your idols

Today is my birthday! 🎉 Check it out - I was just gifted this shirt made from amazingly soft vintage fabric and handmade by @mauramarcks.bsky.social it’s the most comfortable, fun, and flowy thing I’ve ever worn. ❤️

If you haven't played @tommchenry.bsky.social 's masterpiece of interactive fiction, and you enjoy the kinds of media I do, I am *begging* you to give this a go. This was such a "oh shit, games writing is back!" moment for me, and I'm so glad to know and play games with Tom today. Go master a horse!

Shark summer book tour in full effect

If you ban Calvin and Hobbes you’re a straight up fascist son of a bitch and that’s that

One thing I think ppl are trying to avoid is the "my character looks so much different on page 100 than they did on page 1" but I think that's inevitable no matter how much you prepare - 100 pages into your comic you'll develop a visual shorthand that you simply won't have on page 1! It's OK!🤠

Great thread! I'm shouting out Shark Summer by @iramarcks.bsky.social since today is the 50th anniversary of Jaws today. Such a fun graphic novel. Love all his books! iramarcks.com

How am I celebrating the JAWS 50th anniversary? With a tour around the setting of the shark movie that inspired my shark book in the setting that is celebrating it's 50th anniversary!

@iramarcks.bsky.social educating & entertaining my Ss during our 2nd Annual Ira Marcks visit! Already looking forward to our next visit 🙌 and his next story! 🦈 🎥 …🐍??? #authorvisit #graphicnovels #readersarewriters

I’ll be sharing what I know about pitching graphic novels in a workshop this Wednesday at 6:30 ET 📺

Cleansing the TL with an actual Calvin and Hobbes strip. Imagine thinking AI could ever replace this.

If you live in NY state you should contact your state senator and assemblymember and tell them to support the NY For All Act. There's an easy form you can use to do that here:

Oh hey! My adjunct teaching gig ends for the summer in a couple weeks which means I'm EAGER to take on new freelance projects of all shapes and sizes. I have almost 20 years of experience as a professional illustrator, cartoonist, and writer. I would love to make something with or for YOU. Yes, you.

Hey gang, here’s that animator I mentioned during the Twitch stream that I think everybody should be going apeshit over: k. pakiz, AKA Moon County. It appalls me that their latest animation has less than 1,000 views, let’s fix that. (CW: some gore, brief satan-penis.) youtu.be/XTXesoHO53Q?...

Here's my long comic essay about breaking up with Harry Potter and JKR's increasing transphobia. Please boycott the new TV show and all of her future projects ✨ #harrypotter #transphobia #jkrowling redgoldsparkspress.com/projects/718...

A weekend in Rochester, NY talking careers in comics. First time back at RIT since I graduated forever ago. Studied New Media, burned out on computers by senior year and ended up drawing at a light table in the hallway. Still looking for that analog/digital balance. Let me know if you figure it out.

New faces, chewed pencils, graph paper doodles, parking by the loading dock, recycling initiatives, Smartboard cables, 60 cent milk cartons, confusing artwork celebrating FedEx, and lots of drawing. Another month of school visits in the books.

Hey everyone! I'm super excited to share my fully animated book trailer and 12 page sample chapter I made for my new book: 👻 Ghost Town! 👻 It's a 250 page kids-on-bikes story about ghosts, grief and goo. Lots of goo! Pop over here to check out the sample chapter! rutabagacomic.com/ghosttown/

It took 23 years but I finally got my book signed

Oh! You living things

I’ve set a new personal record for “most notes on desk that have nothing to do with what is on the monitor”

Making adjustments to this beach scene

Back at my Black Cat project

I made this while thinking about one of my favorite abduction scenes in sci-fi. I loved John Christopher's whole Tripod Trilogy as a kid but nothing that came after left an impression like that first scene at the farm house. Abduction by way of metal coil is so amazingly cruel.

We made a comic panel in our wall

100 favourite short horror stories, in no particular order, with a description and where to find them / where i read them. Thanks to @oldnick42.bsky.social for the idea. docs.google.com/spreadsheets...

Happy ten years to this bad boy.

just occurred to me that I haven't seen a single person here celebrating Gromit's birthday today, we gotta step it up

My next kid graphic novel is about alchemy and I got a bit obsessive researching just so the book could have a readable transmutation formula. I think it's important to inspire young readers and I believe this book can be a gateway for a new generation of niche, underemployed academics.