Happy Canada Day! Save 20% at blackeye.ca with coupon code CANADA20. Good on anything in our online store until July 8!

A couple more interview slots available for UK based #zine makers. Give me a shout if you're interested in more information and please share if you know someone suitable. #zines #zineresearch #perzines

I did my best to compile as many protest safety notes as possible into a one page foldout zine! Coincidentally…it seems the file has breached containment…like it’s available for anyone to print or hand out 👀⚖️ toonyart.com/s/PSZine.pdf

I came up with an extremely clever PhD thesis title so now I guess I have to finish writing the rest of the proposal...

LinkedIn needs an eye-roll reaction for posts/comments.

I actually did just get picked for an anthology (!!!) but I don’t always, and there are loads of festivals I’ve never been able to get a table at - keep making stuff!

One of the things about AI art and copy is that it makes your business/organization look stingy at best. If you can't even afford the creative how can you be trusted to deliver a quality version of whatever you're advertising? You probably can't and we can tell.

Sometimes you won't get picked for an anthology or to table at an event but you should still keep making comics and zines. Even if they don't pick you they can't stop you. Do it out of spite!

The Coop's Digital Comics Residency is now OPEN for applications for the first time! Check the link below for additional info and registration! cartoonist.coop/digital-resi...

if you feel like other artists in your field are your rivals and not your peers you belong to the other side of the picket line

I have some work in this alongside some amazing artists!

This is worth 15 minutes of your day 👓

Black Eye Books is 100% Canadian owned, and the majority of our comics and graphic novels are by Canadian creators. www.blackeye.ca (use coupon code MARCH15 for 15% until the end of the month)!

Wish there was a feminist counterpart to CLERKS? There *is* and we're screening it at the Revue Cinema in April!! 👀 On April 10, join us for MARY JANE'S NOT A VIRGIN ANYMORE. revuecinema.ca/films/we-really-like-her-mary-janes-not-a-virgin-anymore-i-was-a-teenage-serial-killer-double-feature/

ART AND COURAGE may be just the comic you need to read right now (and the Center for Cartoon Studies can always use your support).

Wednesday Morning: Noisy Song Thrush (which I reported to the @wtscotsocial.bsky.social)

The Brooklyn Public Library has announced that any teenager in America is now eligible for a Brooklyn Public Library card.
Teens can sign out ebooks + audiobooks 
The move is designed to combat censorship, with some titles listed as "always available." www.bklynlibrary.org/media/press/...

Today: last day to respond to the UK Government's open consultation on #copyright and #AI. Please make your views know if you care about the quality of content of any sort, about paying creators fairly, or about the #education of a citizenry. #Books #art #authors 🗃️ 1/4 www.gov.uk/government/c...

"11:30 AM, February 24th. Entering the town of Twin Peaks, five miles south of the Canadian border, twelve miles west of the state line. I’ve never seen so many trees in my life."

Still on the fence about joining us? What if I told you about our members-exclusive library with archived talks about how to do your taxes, how to make a website, advanced zine techniques, a reference photo collection, educational books, and more? cartoonist.coop/join/

Tired of the snowy weather? Here's something warm to look forward to: our annual screening of MAMMA MIA! at Toronto's Revue Cinema (March 13, 6:45pm) 🌅💃 Poster art by Mariel Ashlinn Kelly. Sponsored by @hollywoodsuite.bsky.social and @letterboxd.social!

Spent this weekend finishing a Sophie Scarf, instead of doing extra freelance on top of my 9-5, as a treat…

Is it spring yet?

Looking to support independent media in Canada? ⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️

It’s #hourlycomicsday again. I’m going to post in batches… probably…

End of January Mood

"Yeah! This song is about me!" (Listening to "Rebel Rebel" while I bring in the bins and line them up neatly)

One of my favourite little internet joys is finding the long-abandoned Flickr archives of people I admire.

@wereallylikeher.bsky.social is doing a Galentines screening Desperately Seeking Susan at The Revue in Toronto and I did a poster!

Support the art you want to see in the world It's literally the only way you're going to see more of it Mainstream publishing doesn't want weird, it rarely takes risks, and it sure as hell doesn't spotlight marginalized artists unless they think it'll win big Artists need your help You can do that

I learned from David Lynch that you can end a story however you want to and it doesn’t need to make sense even to you. I can’t think of another singular artist that has been such an influence on my work and that of almost everyone I admire. I’m pretty sure he was indeed connected to the moon.

A girl I knew in college saw David Lynch speak at an event. When it ended, she found a way to get to the front to tell him how much his films and shows meant to her. His response was “Thank you. And remember, the universe is in your basement.”

I missed #portfolioday but that’s okay. Hi anyways. I’m Mariel, I’m Canadian but I live in Wales. I’m an illustrator and comics artist with one graphic novel under my belt and another on the way. I also do film posters for @wereallylikeher.bsky.social and editorial spots whenever I can 💖

Winter feels

While you're here, check out this excellent woodcut style poster by @marielashlinn.bsky.social for my event at Porter's, Cardiff on the 19th of December! A roster of South Wales' spookiest writers!

Art drawn by people who very rarely make art and think they are “bad at art” is 1000x cooler than AI art. It’s life-affirming. It’s often unexpected. I cannot overemphasize how much I love when people just go for it. You do not need the machine for this human endeavor.

I’m working on a new graphic novel along with @mattroy.bsky.social and posting about it on Substack sometimes! You can read about it here (free): marielashlinn.substack.com

Applying for jobs, waiting for grant results, teaching part time, biking back and fourth...

Give the Cartoon Museum a lift Give the @Cartoonmuseumuk a lift comicscene.org/2024/01/21/g...

I have learned to crochet, I am very bad at it, I really enjoy it... is this... a hobby? I want to get other work that I normally enjoy over with so I can do more of it. Is this what having a hobby is?

I want a Scott Pilgrim sequel where he fights Doug Ford and the condo developers.

I'm working on a new little project, probably a zine, about overcoming creative stuck-ness. I'd love to hear about things that have helped you that you'd be happy for me to share!

Comic and Zine people: I sussed out a really easy and pretty much free way to make stands for books and prints: www.youtube.com/watch?app=de...

I'm only taking about 10 copies of each thing to #CardiffZineFest and wow printing 10 of something is so much less stressful than the first time I did this a decade ago and though I needed 100 of everything...

Another Inktober fave! Day 27th - "Beast"

I’m tabling (or stalling as it is called here) at my first UK Zine fest in November! It’s also been four years since I did a fest in person. If you need me I’ll be folding stuff!

Me printing things: Whoo go printer! Make 100!!! Make 10000!!! Me cutting/folding/packaging things: WTF who printed all these!?

I haven't been posting my Inktobers here because I hate being repetetive all over the place but I especially like this one:

I’m attempting a comic-a-day again for this year’s Inktober - spending some time today trying to get a head start which I will almost certainly lose within a week…